The Yin and the Yang
by Jonathan Anubian
Summary: "The last Uchiha," they always said. "The sole heir to the Uchiha clan." It wasn't as if they were wrong. Not really. After all, where one twin went the other did too. One half of a whole. The Yin and the Yang.
1. Prologue

It was a hot day in the middle of the summer. Cicada cries filled the air as an excited energy circulated around the clan. Everyone prayed for the safety of the clan head's wife and unborn child. Sitting on a chair in their home, watching his father pace the floor, a five year old Itachi clenched his fists as he heard another cry of pain coming from the closed room across the hall. Inside the midwife and her assistant consoled his mother, giving her instructions and praise in equal measure. It felt like days had passed, rather than hours, before a squalling sound reached his ears. Father turned to smile at him and he couldn't help but to smile back. When another cry came from his mother both of them paled slightly, his father's eyes filling with worry. Agitated by this the young boy turned his eyes to the door and stared, unblinking.

When the door finally opened the midwife smiled and held out a tiny bundle. "It is a healthy boy, Fugaku-sama." Taking the child carefully his father smiled almost tenderly. "Itachi, come here." Standing from the chair he walked up to his father, looking up at the blanket curiously. Kneeling the man held out the bundle to him and he was finally able to see the baby. "This is your little brother, Sasuke." Reaching out gingerly he smiled when a tiny hand gripped his finger. Another cry startled him and he looked back at the midwife, unsure what was going on. She smiled apologetically. "Don't worry, child. Your mother is in good hands." That said she walked back into the room, closing the door behind her.

The minutes ticked by as he stood with his father and the baby. A second squalling sound came from the room and caught him by surprise. Looking to his father he saw the same surprise mirrored back at him. Gently placing his brother into his arms their father stood and turned as the midwife returned with a second bundle. "Congratulations, Fugaku-sama. You have been gifted with twins. One boy, and one girl." Taking the second bundle the man cradled it against his chest and a bemused smile crossed his face. "Mikoto-sama is doing fine, she is just tired. We'll let her rest for a while then she will be able to receive visitors." Nodding to someone behind her she stepped back and allowed a young woman into the hall, bowing to them politely. "Sasara will help you with anything you need."

The young woman smiled at them politely, standing off to the side I case she was needed for something. Itachi looked down at his younger brother then up at his father, who was holding his sister. "Father, may I hold her too?" Coming forward when his father nodded, Sasara took the bundle that was Sasuke from his arms and shushed the baby gently when he began to fuss. Is father held out the other baby to him and just like before he held her carefully, being sure to support her head. "What is her name?" His father looked mildly distracted for a moment before he mulled the question over. "Hikari. It is what your mother wanted if your sibling had been a girl. It looks like her wish came true." Looking down into her face Itachi smiled. "Hello little sister."

**[If you've read, or are still reading, any of my other works then I'd like to apologize for the terrible update schedule. This story has been kicking around my laptop for a while. All I did was re-write it in my new writing style. I'm not sure when I will be updating any of my stories. My step-dad, the best parent I've ever had, has just been diagnosed with cancer. I will be going to stay with my parents for a bit to help out while my dad is in chemotherapy. It is Lymphoma and the doctors say it is highly treatable. But it was still a big shock and is a huge concern for me.]**


	2. Uchiha Massacre

Early in the morning, before the start of school, Hikari was rudely awakened by a presence near her bed. Well, maybe not rudely. All Sasuke needed to do was stare at her with intent. Not even menacing or angry intent. He just wanted her to wake up and she did. Cracking an eye open she huffed at him in annoyance. A small teasing smile crossed his face and she groaned, rolling over to fall back asleep. Laughing he tugged on her arm gently. "C'mon Kari, mom is making breakfast." With a pout she slid out of the covers and stretched as she got out of bed. A yawn worked its way out of her throat and she rubbed her eyes sleepily. "Why are you such a morning person?" She complained with faux sadness. "Why are you such a night owl?" Shot back her brother with a grin. Sticking her tongue out she stumbled past him for a change of clothes.

Heading downstairs together they noticed their older brother walking down the hall and turning the corner. It looked like he was leaving. Glancing at each other they followed him silently, stopping only when he sat down to put on his sandals. "Good morning Ni-san." They said in unison. Turning he regarded them with a mildly interested look, though he did not smile. Nowadays it was rare for him to smile at them, and it made Hikari wonder what was going on to make their older brother act so coldly toward everyone.

"Can you help me out with shuriken training today after school? Kari has the kunoichi classes." It was a habit for her brother to stay in the training field at the academy while she was in class. The kunoichi classes were only three times a week so it wasn't that bad. Hikari didn't want to fall behind in their clan training, after all. After she was let out the two of them would walk home together, usually stopping by one of their relatives shops to grab a snack.

"I'm busy. Ask father." The curt response made Hikari frown, concerned. Itachi was not the most talkative person but he was never rude. Something didn't seem quite right. "But father said you're better with shurikens… and I think so too." Sasuke wasn't wrong, Hikari thought so as well. "You always treat me like a nuisance, ni-san." Pouting her twin crossed his arms, she hid a smile with her hand. He could be so grumpy at times.

Itachi waved him over after a moment of silence and Sasuke stepped closer. When he was within touching distance their elder brother reached up and gently flicked him on the forehead. "Ouch!" Rubbing the spot on his head he scowled.

"Forgive me, Sasuke, Hikari. Maybe another time." Hikari felt some relief at those words. Itachi was always sure to include her as well, knowing his siblings would want to train together. It was just too bad that he seemed so busy lately, what with the responsibilities of being the Heir and a shinobi of the leaf. Padding over to stand beside Sasuke she watched their older brother as he seemed to stare at nothing for a moment, lost in thought. Something about it felt wrong to her. Was he worried about something? Should she even try to ask? It might be something he couldn't tell her, after all.

He stood before she could make up her mind. "I have no time to help you out today." He said as he headed for the door. "You always say 'forgive me, Sasuke,' and flick my forehead. And you never help out, not just today." Without another word Itachi left the house, closing the door behind him without looking back. Sasuke huffed and Hikari leaned forward, her long ponytail nearly touching the floor as she looked up at his face. "It's okay, Sasuke. I'm sure he's just really busy. He looked kinda tired…" Straightening back up she stared at the door, a slight frown crossing her face. "Come on, they must be waiting." Taking his hand she dragged him toward the kitchen, intent on breakfast. Now that she was mostly awake she was hungry.

Sitting next to each other at the table they got comfortable and thanked their other for breakfast. "Itadekimasu." They said in unison before eating with the best manners they could manage at the early hour. No real conversations were ever had over breakfast, it was a very quiet affair in their household. So Hikari was a little surprised when Sasuke turned to their father and began to speak. "Father," he started hesitantly. "Does Ni-san not care about me?" She choked on her tea and looked at her twin in concern. "Why would you think that?" He wouldn't meet her eye and just turned away, fidgeting slightly. "Well… he always agrees to help you…" She shook her head. Itachi always helped ithem/i, not just her alone.

Your brother is a little different." Their father said, grabbing their attention. "He's never really liked interacting with people much." That seemed wrong to Hikari. Whenever their brother spoke to them he always kind, even when he was chastising or teasing. He always tried to make time for them to help with training and he always seemed more relaxed when the three of them were alone. "Why?" Sasuke asked, bringing her out of her musings. The man looked up for a moment, needing a moment to gather his thoughts.

"I don't know. Even I, his father, can't understand him." iAfter all, your older brother is a genius./i She knew he was thinking it, though he didn't say it out loud. Silence filled the room, the air slightly tense. Luckily their mother was able to save them from the awkward heaviness. "Here you go, you two, your lunches." Taking hers as she stood she smiled up at their mom gratefully before receiving a kiss on top of her head. "Sasuke, if you want to practice with shuriken I'll help you after you get back." Sasuke took his own bento and received a kiss as well. Though he pretended to be annoyed Hikari knew he loved the affection and attention they got from their mother. Having the chief of police as their father meant he had very little time to dote on them. Hikari wouldn't say he was completely cold or distant but… he wasn't the most affectionate man.

"It's not practice, it's training." Her brother grumbled as they went to grab their school bags. Hikari snickered and was lightly shoved in retaliation, making her snicker more.

On their way out of the compound they were stopped by auntie Shizu as she was sweeping in front of her home. "Sasuke-chan, Hikari-chan, are you both heading to school now?" They stopped as one and said 'yes' at the same time, making the older woman smile at them indulgently. "I just saw Itachi-chan a little while ago. My, he sure has grown up. He's become an excellent ninja." Hikari wanted to sigh a little as she glanced at her brother. i'Here we go again.'/i "He graduated at seven and moved up to chuunin at ten, right?"

Sasuke stiffened slightly but relaxed a moment later, masking his displeasure with a smile. "He could use his Sharingan when he was eight." These were simple facts that practically everyone knew. It certainly wasn't new information. "It makes me proud to be an Uchiha, with him being part of our clan." Hikari reached for her brother's hand and held it, squeezing gently. She already knew where this was headed, and she didn't like it. "Oh, that's right. How old are the two of you now?" Sasuke's face fell slightly and he looked at the ground. "We're seven, oba-san." She chirped, smiling brightly to bring the woman's attention to her. "Already?" The older woman asked, sounding surprised. "Time sure flies…"

Auntie-Shizu's husband walked out of the house and came closer. "What nonsense are you telling them?" He asked in a chiding tone. The woman looked at him, startled. "Dear?" She asked.

"Kids, you're both an important part of the Uchiha clan, a noble family in the village of Konoha. Be confident in yourselves. You'll both make great ninja like your older brother one day." As the man spoke Sasuke began to smile, his body relaxing further. Between the two of them she knew he had the harder time of it, always being compared to their elder brother because they were both boys. She thought it was really silly of everyone. Besides, Itachi was the heir for a reason.

"I'm sorry, but we really have to go. We don't want to be late for school. Thank you Oji-san!" Pulling her brother along she ran up the street until they were around a corner and safely out of earshot. Stopping she hugged her brother around the waist, trying to reassure him. Sasuke's arms went around her shoulders and he let out a sad sigh. "He might have a head start, but we'll catch up. Who cares what other people think? We've got each other." Stepping back after he nodded she gave him a bright smile, glad to see he was looking better. "C'mon, we really will be late at this rate."

Class was the same as always. They sat together in Mitsuru-sensei's class as Sasuke listened intently and she wrote notes or doodled in her notebook. Today she was sitting between her brother and Naruto, the loud blonde boy who liked to play pranks. Unlike other students she wasn't hostile toward him and didn't avoid him, finding a lot of the things he did to be really funny. Unfortunately her brother was not a big fan, and often frowned at the boy whenever he talked to her. She kind of understood why. Naruto had declared Sasuke to be his rival, which annoyed him to no end. She'd had to play peace maker between them fairly often.

Hikari would never say it to his face but Sasuke wasn't as observant as she was. Although he was stronger and faster than her, with better reflexes, he lacked her subtlety, intuition, and imagination. Sh had a special connection with people, almost like she could tell what they were feeling without asking them. She wasn't like Ino or her clan. It wasn't something she'd been taught, or even knew how to describe. Just an ability to observe someone and understand their feelings, even if they tried to hide them. Like Sasuke's budding inferiority complex toward their brother or Naruto's loneliness. If people would only stop comparing Sasuke and Itachi then maybe her brother wouldn't push himself so hard. And why was it she was the only one to notice that Naruto wasn't as bad as everyone thought? His pranks were silly, not mean. Why couldn't people see what she saw?

After the normal classes were over for the day she waved to her brother as they left the classroom. Too bad for him, boys weren't allowed in the kunoichi classes. Entering the room her eyes scanned the area until she spied the shy Hyuuga heiress sitting alone, like always. With a smile she skipped over to her table and and gave her a playful bow before sitting next to her. Hinata smiled, some of her shyness falling away in the presence of her friend. "How are you today, Hina-chan?" The girl's smile brightened further and a pleased blush crossed her face. "I am well, Ri-chan." It had taken a while to get the shy and overly formal girl to call her by a nickname but it was definitely worth it.

Sweeping her eyes across the class, to make sure they wouldn't be overheard, she sighed. "A little sad today." Hinata frowned a little and reached out to touch her arm in a show of camaraderie. "…is it Sasuke?" Hikari smiled. This was why she adored Hinata. The girl was observant and sweet, caring and kind. Not to mention patient and hardworking. "One of the oba-san at the clan compound compared him to Ni-san again. I know they are just proud to have a genius for an heir, but it always makes Sasuke doubt himself." Putting her hands on her lap Hinata nodded, listening carefully as she spoke. "I just wish they would see him like I do." He was her other half. Whenever someone made him feel bad she could feel the pain in her chest as if it was her own. "I just don't know what to do." Hinata leaned closer, giving her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure just knowing he has a sister who loves him is a great help."

Hikari let out a long sigh, letting herself relax for a moment before straightening. "Thanks for listening, Hina-chan. You're a good friend." Hinata's face flushed with pleased embarrassment at the compliment. "You're a good friend too." The girls smiled at each other before Fuyumi-sensei entered the room and clapped her hands to quiet everyone. "Today we'll be working on flower arrangements. I'm going to give each table their own supplies and a riddle with clues on what to make. Let's see what you girls can come up with." Hikari looked over at Ino, who was looking smug. Hikari's nose crinkled slightly in distaste before she turned to Hinata. "Let's kick everyone's butt." The other girl giggled and they got to work.

Regardless of the clan rivalry the two worked well together, and it showed. Fuyumi-sensei was quite pleased with their work. While Hikari worked on the riddle Hinata had carefully cut the flowers to their desired length and set them aside. The young Uchiha was often awed by the delicate and precise way her friend moved, like a dainty porcelain doll. On the other hand she was known for being quite boyish in comparison to the other girls, especially someone like Ino. While there was no open hostility between them Hikari got satisfaction from doing better than the blonde girl in class, even if it was a bit petty. Hey, Sasuke had a rival, why couldn't she have one too?

They were praised by Fuyumi-sensei when she came by to look at their arrangement. She asked a few questions and looked pleased with their work before moving on to another table. She and Hinata shared a triumphant smile and spent the last few minutes of class just talking and having fun.

When class was over they parted ways, Hinata being led away by an attendant from the Hyuuga household. "I'll see you in class tomorrow, Hina-chan~" Hikari called after her with a wave. The attendant looked between them as Hinata stopped and gave her a polite nod. "Tomorrow, Hikari-san." The other girl was always more formal in front of others, but Hikari understood why. Unlike her Hinata was the heir of her family and was expected to act a certain way. She didn't hold it against her.

Knowing where she'd find her brother she headed to the back of the school, toward the training field. There Sasuke was focusing on his shuriken throwing like it was the only thing in the world that mattered. Hikari rolled her eyes at her brother. Once he was like this his sense of awareness just flew out the window. A wicked grin crossed her face and she waited until he had thrown all his shuriken. Sneaking up on him she cleared her throat loudly. Whirling around he almost stumbled, looking startled. When he realized it was her he glared at her. She gave him a sweet, innocent, smile and he snorted in amusement. "How was class?" he asked conversationally as he walked to the target to retrieve his throwing stars. "The same as always. I sat with Hina-chan and we had fun arranging flowers." Sasuke made a face and she laughed.

Rummaging around in her bag she pulled out her own shuriken and grinned at him. "First to ten?" A matching grin crossed his face and they moved on to the targets with rings painted on them. The first person to hit the bullseye ten times in a row won the first round. Then the counter would reset and they would move on to the second round. Then it was the first to ten bullseyes with the added rule that two of them had to be back to back. Each round was exponentially harder than the last, otherwise what good would it be for training? It took a lot of concentration but the two of them couldn't help but to comment now and then, either compliments or taunts.

The game took longer than they had expected. They'd been so focused that they hadn't even noticed the sun setting until it was too dark to see the targets any longer. "We are in so much trouble when we get home." Sasuke said as they packed their things away as quickly as possible.

Leaving the school grounds they dashed toward the clan compound, like there was a demon on their heels. In the future she would wonder what would have happened if they'd gone home before the sun set. What if they had walked home and taken their time, or if a teacher had seen them and stopped to give them a lecture about staying out so late. These thoughts would haunt her for years, leaving her feeling shaken and confused.

As they entered the compound a chill ran down her spine and she stopped dead in her tracks, forcing Sasuke to stop too. Something was terribly wrong. Her heart pounded in her chest and she felt as if a cold wind had rushed past her, making her shiver. Sasuke looked up, as if searching for something, but she was too afraid to raise her head. She was absolutely sure that something was there; something bad. "Hikari? What's wrong?" Confused her brother looked from her back to the street before gasping. Her head whipped up and she stared at him with distress. "The lights…" Blinking she turned to focus on the buildings around them. With sudden clarity she realized what he was talking about. Every light in the compound, as far as they could see, was off. But it wasn't even time to sleep yet. They were late home but there was at least two hours before their bed time. Even then, some of the ninja worked early in the morning and the day shift of the police force should have been coming home for the night. i'It's so quiet…'/i

"Kari!" Grabbing her hand Sasuke began to run. Years of doing things as if they were one person and not two made her legs move, even though her brain hadn't caught up quite yet. Turning down another road they stopped and Hikari bit back a cry. The entire street was littered with ninja weapons. Signs, windows, doors, lamp posts, decorations; everything was destroyed. The dead were laying wherever they had fallen, some more contorted and unrecognizable than others. Neither of them spoke, they didn't need to. They came to the same conclusion at that moment and looked at each other, both equally horrified. Taking off they ran toward home desperately. Father was the clan head. If there was an emergency then he would be the one to handle it.

Up the street they found aunt Shizu and her husband, laying in front of their home as if they were sleeping. "Th-this is horrible…" Hikari whispered, almost afraid that the sound would attract the attention of whoever had done something so despicable. Sasuke's hand gripped hers firmly and she took a couple deep breaths, trying to keep herself from falling over the edge and into panic. Becoming hysteric now wasn't going to help anyone.

The moment they arrived home they burst inside, panting and sweating. "Mother? Father? Are you here?" Sasuke yelled as Hikari peered outside to see if anyone had followed them before she closed the door. Throwing off his bag Sasuke started checking each room carefully. Silently she followed, keeping watch to make sure they weren't attacked from behind. She was scared. More than scared, she was absolutely terrified. It was like walking into a nightmare, but when you were still awake.

A crash echoed through the house and she jumped. Sharing a look with her brother she bit her bottom lip with worry. His eyes sharpened and he nodded at her. Swallowing down her fear she followed him as he turned and ran toward the sound. They approached the door to the dojo, at the back of the house, and her brother reached for the door handle. Something ominous passed over them, an oppressive feeling that made cold sweat run down their spines and their limbs seize. Floundering she grabbed Sasuke's hand and held on tight. They stood there, trembling, for kami knows how long. "W-we're not alone." She whispered. Sasuke's eyes flicked over to her then back at the door. He swallowed. Together they reached for the door handles and pulled them open.

The sight that met them was one that would haunt them forever. Laying in a pool of their own blood, collapsed to the floor like puppets without strings, were their parents. From the scant light coming in from the window it was hard to miss their lifeless eyes. Sasuke yelled and ran forward, wrenching his hand from hers as her feet rooted to the spot. Someone moved in the darkness beyond the light from the window and Sasuke stepped back toward her, wary. From the shadows Itachi stepped forward, his eyes swirling with the red of their clan dojutsu. Relief flooded her body and she began to relax. Then he turned toward them and her blood ran cold.

"Ni-san! Mother and father are- why? What reason is there!?" Sasuke yelled suddenly, his body shaking. Hikari wanted to say something but she stood transfixed by their elder brother. Everything about this was wrong. "Who would so something li-" Before Sasuke could finish his sentence a shuriken came flying out of nowhere and embedded itself in the door. Hikari cried out as her twin grabbed his arm in pain. "Ni-san! What are you doing?" She yelled, lurching forward to try and check her brother's arm. Sasuke held out his arm with a wince, stopping her. Stepping to the side he stood in front of her, shielding her body from Itachi. From this close she could see how his body shook like a leaf. "…Suke?" Distracted by her twin she forgot to watch out for Itachi. She wasn't sure what, exactly, happened; but she heard it.

"Foolish twins. Mangekyou Sharingan." A prolonged and unearthly scream tore its way out of her brother as he collapsed to the floor, holding his head. "Sasuke!" Without hesitation she threw herself over his body, covering him with her own. "Suke, speak to me!" His eyes were unfocused and drool dribbled down his chin as he gasped for breath. She hiccuped as tears began streaming down her face.

"Wh-why?" Sasuke asked the air groggily. "Why d-did you-?" Shushing him she pulled him to her, keeping herself between her twin and her elder brother. "To measure my abilities." Was his curt reply. i'No.'/i She thought. i'That's a lie. Ni-san isn't like that!'/i

"J-just for that?" Untangling himself from her arms he stumbled as he got to his feet. A noise of protestation left her but she was too shaken to really stop him. Walking past her he stood in front of her body, guarding her from an attack. Putting her hands against the floor she tried to stand but her legs wouldn't stop trembling. Itchi took one step forward, she could hear it in the deafening silence. Suddenly she was being dragged off the floor and pulled to her feet. "We have to run! Now!" Adrenaline pumped through her veins at the panic in her twin's voice. Gaining momentum she started to run on her own and Sasuke finally released her. For the first time in her life she was able to keep up with her brother as they both ran for their very lives.

Tears ran down their faces, obscuring their sight, as they ran blindly through the ghost town that had been the Uchiha compound. Itachi flickered into view ahead of them and they stopped. Hikari choked on a sob and fell to her knees, knowing it was pointless. Their elder brother was a highly trained shinobi genius. They wouldn't be able to escape him no matter how they tried. Her head fell into her hands and her shoulders shook as she cried. "D-don't, ni-san. P-please don't kill us!" Sasuke just stood there, too far beyond fear and grief to do anything.

"Foolish. You are not even worth the time to kill." His voice was dead, devoid of life and emotion. What stood before them was not the brother they loved and admired, but a soulless murderer. "If you want to get revenge just try and kill me. Keep living like the unsightly cowards you are." He stood there, unmoving and unblinking. "Maybe I should kill only one of you? Would that eliminate your weakness?" Sasuke seemed to snap out of his stupor as Itachi slowly reached for a weapon. "I won't let you hurt Hikari!" He screamed as he rushed forward, forgetting his fear in his need to protect his sister.

Hikari's head snapped up from her hands and she watched as Itachi's fist connected with Sasuke's abdomen. Blood flew out of his mouth and he made a gurgling sound before he fell to the ground, boneless. "Sasuke!" Itachi appeared before her in a flicker and she stared up at him, eyes wide. In his hands he held a kunai and she let out a whimper. Swallowing her fear her eyes went to her prone twin before she looked back up at their elder brother. "K-kill me. J-just let him live, p-please!" Closing her eyes was difficult but she didn't want to watch Itachi as he killed her, she didn't want that to be the last thing she saw. Waiting for the pain and nothingness of death her breath came in ragged gasps. Itachi's shadow fell over her as he loomed above her, silent like the night. Something wet landed on her cheek and startled her into opening her eyes. Above her Itachi was crying without making a sound. So many emotions ran through his eyes in that one moment. Grief, anger, guilt, determination, resignation and even love. It was incomprehensible to her. One moment he was there the next he was gone.

It took her a while to finally climb to her feet and shakily make her way over to her brother. Pressing her ear to his back she listened carefully, afraid that she would hear nothing. A heartbeat, faint but there. Turning him over she held him in her lap, relieved to see the rise and fall of his chest. "It's o-okay, Suke. W-we're alive… we're alive." Burying her face in his chest she continued to cry. With sadness or relief she wasn't sure.

Not long after Anbu found them. When they tried to come close she freaked out and screamed at them incomprehensibly, clinging to her brother desperately. It took knocking her unconscious from behind to finally separate them. It confused the medics at first but they quickly found out that the heartbeats of the twins would become erratic if they were taken too far from one another, almost as if their spirits could only be calm if they were together.

By the time the sun rose and set the next day everyone in Konoha knew. The Uchiha clan was no more. Save for the last, a pair of twins who were too traumatized to speak and refused to go anywhere unless they were within touching distance of each other. Their path to recovery was going to be a long one.


	3. Aftermath

For the first two months after the Uchiha tragedy the twins were cared for by a rotation of select chunin appointed by the Hokage. Although their physical hurts had been healed, and they had been discharged from the hospital, their minds were a completely different matter. Brittle, fragile, in need of constant reassurance that they had not been separated. They had been given single rooms, across the hall from each other, and yet they would always be found sharing a bed. Clinging to one another as if afraid to wake up and find themselves alone. They refused to eat or bathe unless the other was present. If one of the chunin got too close they would tense, as if readying themselves for an attack. It was quite upsetting to everyone involved. Even the Yamanaka counselor sent to help them found it slightly unnerving, almost as if they were one person rather than two. Even without any outward communication they would do everything in sync. It sent a shiver down his spine.

No one blamed the children for needing time to cope with the loss of their entire clan, or the betrayal of their elder brother. In one night they had become alone in the world, save for each other. It was understandable that they would be paranoid about losing each other. But it was hard seeing the two of them so unresponsive to the outside world. It took a lot of coaxing and counseling sessions before the twins started to react to the grief counselor. When they finally broke down and expressed the first vestiges of emotion, other than fear, since that night Yamanaka Ito felt relieved.

They showed no signs of suicidal thoughts or intentions. In fact they fiercely wanted to live, if only to protect each other. It was admirable in kids so young but he worried that it would make later relationship building difficult for them. He recommended that they be sent back to the academy as soon as possible. His hope was that being around other children their age would further pull them from their grief and ground them in the here and now.

Four months after the attack they calmed considerably and were learning how to take care of themselves and each other. Slowly they started being able to wander away from each other. It was only to different parts of the small home they'd been given but it was progress nonetheless. The Chunin were slowly withdrawn though there was still a rotation of Anbu guards to ensure that they were safe from any attempts to kidnap the last two Uchiha.

With further therapy and conditioning they began venturing out into the village a little more. Outside their home they refused to be more than an arms reach from each other but as long as they were able to interact with others Ito found no problem with letting them find solace in each other. No matter how frustrating it was to see children scared of losing a loved one he didn't push them too hard. Though it was slow going they were making progress and he didn't want to set them back by putting stress on them.

Around six months Ito reported that they were as settled as they were going to get for the time being. Only time and being around other people would help now. However he did report an interesting occurrence. Whenever a civilian came up to the twins to express their condolences Hikari would take her brother's hand and tap the inside of his wrist. Sometimes once and other times twice. Being the experts of psychology that they were Ito noticed a correlation that surprised him. Whenever a civilian was being sincere in their grief and condolences Hikari would tap his wrist once and Sasuke would begin to relax. But when a civilian was expressing condolences but seemed to have some other agenda she would tap her brother's wrist twice and the two of them would remain on guard the entire time. It was fascinating. Hikari seemed to have a natural ability to tell when someone was being honestly sincere and falsely sincere. Her brother did not seem to have this ability yet trusted his sister's intuition implicitly.

Finally the twins were given the option to return to the academy to finish their schooling if they wished. They seemed unsure of what to do, looking at each other for guidance. "I'll give you a week to decide. The academy is out on break right now so you needn't worry." There wasn't much else he could do for them now. It had to be their decision. Ito wished that children their age didn't have to suffer such a burden, and he was pretty sure he knew what their answer would be, but it was not his place. He reported to the Hokage directly and was dismissed for the week.

[Break]

The entire week they had been given the twins tried and failed to talk to each other. It became increasingly frustrating, being unable to talk to each other about all the emotions they were feeling, all the fears that came to mind. Sitting across from one another in their small living room Hikari chewed on her bottom lip, knees tucked against her chest and arms holding them in place. Sitting cross legged Sasuke glanced at her, one leg bouncing uncontrollably with agitation. They'd both come to the same conclusion, they **had** to talk this over.

"What do you want to do, Suke?" He shook his head, eyes falling to his empty hands. "I don't know, Kari. I just…" Looking up his eyes met hers and he didn't need to speak. She could see the fear, anger, and determination warring in his eyes. "I… I want to protect you." A reassuring smile crossed her face as she let go of her legs, letting them stretch out in front of her. "I want that too." He nodded. But something was wrong.

"Hikari… I want to get strong. So that nothing like… like **that** happens again. I don't want to lose you too." Something flashed across his face and she sat up straighter worried. "I think… I think you should stay home." Her eyes widened in shock. She knew what he was getting at and shook her head vigorously. "No! You can't expect me to stay home!" His hands clenched into fists and his eyes hardened. Hikari's heart felt cracked and pain filled her chest. "Why?" She asked softly. Sasuke looked away from her, unable to bear the pained look in her eyes. "I don't want anything to happen to you. I couldn't help you and I- when I was knocked out I…" _'I thought I'd wake up to find you gone too.'_ It was clear as day. He was feeling guilty because he couldn't protect her from their brother. He'd failed and it was eating at him on the inside.

Standing, her eyes flashing angrily, she glared down at her twin. "Do you really think I'd let you walk into danger alone?" Startled he looked up at her in concern, though his determination hadn't seemed to waver. Gritting her teeth she stormed out of the living room. She heard Sasuke stand and hurry after her but she didn't turn around. She stomped into the kitchen with intent. Yanking open one of the drawers she pulled out one of the kitchen knives. "K-Kari?" He stuttered behind her, sounding distressed. Turning to look at him she led the knife in her hand, gripping the handle with white knuckles. Every line in his body screamed worry and confusion at her actions. He stepped forward, hand outstretched. "What are you-" Reaching behind her head she grasped her loose ponytail and set the knife against her hair. In one swift motion the hair parted easily and tumbled from her fingers to the floor. Sasuke's eyes watched the hair fall to the ground in confusion.

Hikari set the knife down on the counter before taking a deep breath. "Don't you dare try to leave me behind! Didn't I promise you? Promise that we'd get stronger together?" Only together could they ever hope to beat Itachi. Before it had been a childish dream to gain the attention of their father and the pride of their elder brother. But now… now it meant so much more. Tears appeared at the corners of her eyes but she stubbornly refused to look away from him. Walking up to her slowly, his panic dying down now that she'd put the knife down, he reached up and wiped away her tears. "…I'm sorry." His arms went around her shoulders and she gripped onto his shirt tightly as she cried. "I d-don't want to b-be alone." She whispered. Sasuke nodded and stroked her shorn hair gently as she shook.

Once she'd finally calmed down he looked at her hair and frowned. He knew why she'd done it. Cutting ones hair was to sever ties with the past. To distinguish between who she used to be and who she wanted to become. But he was going to miss her long hair. "C'mon, Kari. Let's get someone to fix your hair." She glanced down to the hair just laying on the floor, still held together with her ribbon. With a faint wince of regret she nodded.

It took some convincing but eventually the civilian hairdresser cut her hair in a similar style to her brother's. Looking at herself in a mirror she turned her head this way and that. Unlike Sasuke's hair hers didn't have a habit of sticking out. Rather it curved downward along the back of her head. It felt strange not to have the weight of her hair on her head anymore, and the back of her neck was oddly cold. Sasuke came to stand next to her and held her hand. They stared at their matching reflections and her grip tightened around his hand. _'We'll become strong. Together.'_

[Break]

As one they made the decision to return to the academy. Ito chose not to ask them about Hikari's hair, for which she was grateful. She wasn't really sure how to explain the feelings that had prompted her to cut her hair so short. It was just something she had to do. The matching thing was less difficult to explain, but still not something she felt comfortable bringing up. Thankfully the counselor didn't ask about that either. He just took their answer, reassured them that they would be able to catch up with the rest of the class with some hard work, and left.

The first day they arrived back at the academy Mitsuru-sensei seemed baffled to find them in matching outfits with matching hairstyles. She wasn't quite sure how to react to them other than to ask them to take their seats. Sasuke sat on the outside and she sat in the middle seat, like usual. But unless they spoke few people could tell them apart now.

"D-do you mind i-if I sit here?" A shy voice asked her politely. Turning to see Hinata fidgeting slightly near the empty seat she smiled and nodded. "Sure, Hina-chan." Hinata smiled back at her and took a seat. Hikari felt grateful to her friend. If someone like Kiba or Naruto had sat there she wasn't sure she could handle them yet. Not to mention her brother was even more protective than before.

As class began she leaned to the side. "How did you know it was me?" She asked her sole female friend in a whisper. Hinata ducked her head, flushing a little. "Your chakra coils are a little different." She explained, also in a whisper. Hikari frowned. She'd known that girls didn't tend to have chakra coils as large as the boys but somehow she'd expected to be an exception to the rule. She found it hard to imagine herself being all that different from her brother, even though she should have known the differences would only get more pronounced as they got older. "I get it. I'll have to work harder, huh?" She gave Hinata a smile before turning her focus back on the teacher.

She glanced at her brother and his determined expression. They'd both have to work harder to catch up.


	4. Genin

The next three and a half years were filled to the brim with academy classes, personal training, and their monthly visits with Yamanaka Ito. The reports he made on the twins were steadily getting shorter as their issues faded over time. They might never come to terms with the loss of their entire clan, and the betrayal of their elder brother. Not that anyone could blame them for that. Finally, after countless sessions, the twins were starting to settle down and feel safe within Konoha's walls.

Every session after the first couple of months Ito spoke with the twins together before splitting them up and speaking with them one on one. There were just some problems that could only be dealt with out of earshot of other people, even if that person was your most trusted twin. Before splitting them up he always asked who wanted to go first. Making the decision themselves was a way to give them a sense of control over the situation, which lessened their anxiety.

This time around he was speaking with Hikari first. The twins had grown since he'd met them, going from children to pre-teens. While Sasuke was beginning to fill out some, with broader shoulders and more muscle definition, Hikari had grown slightly taller than her brother and remained quite slender in comparison. In a few more years they wouldn't be able to trick anyone with their similar appearance. Both still wore similar clothing, the Uchiha emblem prominently displayed. But now it was less a desperate attempt to keep each other close and more a show of clan pride or solidarity. After all the Uchiha clan had always favored high collars, dark colors, and three quarter pants or long shorts.

"How have you been this past month, Hikari-chan? Are you excited for graduation?" The girl gave him a smile that was bright, open, and friendly. Swinging her legs she looked up at him and thought for a moment, comfortable in the silence. Over time he had learned to differentiate between the twins due to their minor behavioral differences. It was nice to see that he didn't need to look deeper any longer. Hikari was always polite, cheerful, talkative, and active; the polar opposite of her brother.

"I've been doing well, Ito-san." Tilting her head slightly, as if listening to something in the distance, a small frown appeared on her face and her eyes slid away from him. Her hands gripped her shorts, almost as if she were afraid or anxious. "I… I guess I am excited for graduation. But… I'm also a little afraid." Nodding slowly he waited patiently for her to continue. Normally she would have been looking him in the eyes when speaking to him, as a common courtesy. Whenever she looked away like that he knew she wanted to work something out in her mind before speaking. "There are only three genin on each team." She said, as if it was some kind of confession. It dawned on him that she expected them to be split up. Two Uchiha on one team was a bit overkill. It was also dangerous. If their genin team met with tragedy and both the twins perished then there would be no Uchiha left in Konoha.

Ito knew from his talks with Hikari alone that a few of the more overbearing civilians had _suggested_ she stay home and get married in order to restore the Uchiha clan. Those talks were the rare instances he saw her anger show through the careful facade she had crafted for herself. He'd passed the names of the civilians, or their descriptions, on to his higher ups in the hope that they would never bother the twins again. Telling a young girl to become the equivalent of a broodmare so Konoha could have bragging rights again was just awful.

Ito let the girl sit in silence, patiently waiting for her to finish her thought before she spoke again. "I think I'll start growing my hair out again." His eyebrows raised in surprise. "Is there any particular reason?" Hikari sighed. "We're not kids anymore. We're going to grow up and become shinobi. We can't keep hiding." Ito's surprise faded. Girls were known to grow up quicker than boys and Hikari was quite emotionally mature for her age. But he could sense her hesitation and discomfort with the idea of being separated from her brother.

"Can I ask what worries you most?" She readjusted in her seat, turning slightly away from him. "I don't know…" A frown creased her forehead.

"Hmm. Maybe that's what scares you? The not knowing." Her eyes flicked up to his and away again. Slowly she nodded. "What… what if I'm not strong enough to be a genin and fail the test? What if Sasuke keeps getting stronger and goes on missions where I don't hear from him for a long time? What if he gets hurt? What if he never comes back!?" Panic seized her and her breathe came in quick gasps. Getting out of his chair he knelt next to her, one hand rubbing circles into her back gently. "You need to take slow, deep, breaths. Remember what I taught you?" She nodded and took a few deep breaths.

"Five things I can see. Four things I can touch. Three things I can hear. Two things I can smell. One thing I can taste." As she spoke the panic in her voice slowly ebbed and her tense body relaxed. Ito stayed next to her as she went through the steps, only standing and going back to his chair when she was calm again.

"These are all things that _could_ happen, yes. But that doesn't mean they are guaranteed to happen. You need to focus on the here and now." Looking up at him Hikari hung on his words, listening carefully and absorbing what he was saying to her. "I have faith in you, and so does Sasuke." A slow smile crossed her face and the last vestiges of doubt seemed to leave her. "Thank you Ito-san."

"You're welcome. Our time is up for now, Hikari-chan. Please let your brother know that it's his turn." Hopping out of the chair she left the room, calling for her brother. Ito chuckled at the grumbled response.

These kids were going to be fine. Or at least as fine as any shinobi could be.

Sitting between Hinata and Sasuke, Hikari tried not to fidget with nervous excitement. Iruka-sensei had finally come into the classroom and called them all to order. "We're about to start the graduation exam." Looking down at the list in his hands he smiled. "When your name is called come to the classroom next door." The man glanced around the room for a moment before he continued. "The test will be on the Bunshin Technique." There was a low groan from somewhere behind her but Hikari was too jittery to be curious. A hand tapped her thigh and she glanced at her brother, he was frowning at her. Setting her hand on the seat she waited as he drew out a character on her palm, a silent form of communication they'd made up together.

_'Nervous?'_ She huffed, wanting to roll her eyes. Without looking she began to draw on his palm, stopping between each character._ 'A little bit.'_ Sasuke shifted and she glanced over at him while Iruka-sensei called the first student, a boy with the last name Adachi. _'Don't be. We trained hard for this. You'll be fine.'_ Hikari couldn't help but to smile at him. Although he wasn't as talkative as he used to be her brother was still very caring. At least to her. With a silent laugh, the bare shaking of her shoulders, she drew a few new characters out on his hand and got a highly annoyed look in response. _'How much ryo do you want to bet that you end up with a fangirl?'_ Either he was annoyed that she'd mentioned his fangirls or he hadn't really thought about the implications of being split up. Maybe both.

"Uchiha, Hikari." She nearly jumped out of her seat when she was called. She locked eyes with her brother and he gave her a half smile, trying to give her confidence. Hinata politely got up so she didn't have to vault over the desk and also gave her an encouraging smile.

Stepping into the other room she saw Mizuki-sensei and had to suppress an urge to make a face. Although he was really friendly and kind she had never been truly comfortable around him. Not like with Iruka-sensei who seemed to exude a kind of warm acceptance and kind responsibility. Ito-san had told her that this sense she had of people, this gut feeling, was a good thing to have, but not to let it control her and make her paranoid. So she shelved her emotions and tried to focus on the task at hand.

Making the sign of the Ram she focused her mind and felt the prickle of energy that ran through her entire body. "Bunshin no jutsu." She didn't yell, as some students did, but calmly and firmly gave voice to the ninjutsu she was trying to perform. Immediately there was the faint feeling of something slipping away from her before another her appeared at her side. It was always strange to see a copy of herself, almost like having another twin. But this one wasn't real.

"Very good Hikari-chan! You've passed. Please come and get your headband." Smiling brightly she almost skipped over to the table as Iruka-sensei held out a headband to her. Bowing she took the headband from her teacher, former now she supposed, and headed toward the classroom again. "Aah, Hikari-chan. Can you please wait outside instead?" Turning back to Iruka-sensei she faltered before nodding and turning around.

Outside she leaned against the side of the building, watching other students as their parents congratulated them on their graduation. Gripping the headband tightly in her hand she nibbled her bottom lip. It didn't take long until her brother was walking out into the courtyard as well. Spying her he casually walked over and held up the headband. With a bright smile she hugged him, no longer anxious. "Now, where should I wear it?" Sasuke shrugged and immediately put his around his forehead, the traditional place most shinobi wore theirs. Looking at how it looked on her brother she shook her head. She didn't like how it looked at all. But it wasn't vanity that stopped her from wearing the headband on her forehead like her brother, even if she thought it looked kind of silly. She was actively trying to ensure people could tell them apart now. She wanted her brother to realize they wouldn't be going to the same place, and they weren't going to look similar for much longer.

Looking down at the headband then up at her brother again she shrugged and tied it around the top of her head, just behind her bangs. Like one of those cute feminine accessories she'd seen in shop windows, the kind civilian girls wore to feel pretty. Sasuke frowned at her a little but she just stuck her tongue out at him. "What? I'm a girl, remember?" Grunting he put his hands in his pockets and slouched a little. Hikari rolled her eyes. Now he was just pouting. "Come on, we should go out to celebrate!" Grabbing his arm she tugged on him, a wide, excited, smile on her face. Looking at her he snorted, the corners of his lips twitching up into a smile. "Yeah, alright."

They'd hang out as much as they could for now. Because tomorrow they were genin, and they might not get to see each other very often.

***

Shifting his pipe from one side to the other Sarutobi Hiruzen, Third Hokage of Konohagakure, watched his jounin as they trickled into the room. The room he'd chosen for this meeting had clear exits and a lot of space. Most of them found their companions, trusted comrades, or familiar faces and stood in a way that allowed them to protect each other's back. It was both amusing and a little sobering to see. Paranoia was just one of the prices one paid for becoming an exceptional ninja.

Stepping forward he cleared his throat and the noise died down almost immediately. Nodding to one of the chuunin instructors from the academy he watched the man quickly bow to the room before going over the list of students who had passed his class. The jounin talked amongst themselves about different team builds and who would do well on what team. A few even asked the chuunin instructor their opinions on how well the students would work together and he couldn't help but smile. It was nice to see the hard work of the sensei being taken seriously.

Most of the way through the second list of graduates Iruka slipped into the room, wrapped in bandages, and leaned against the far wall quietly. Of course no one missed his entrance, some of the jounin giving the man a critical look before turning their attention back to the woman speaking. "That concludes my list, Hokage-sama." With a polite half bow she stood back in the line of instructors and Hiruzen turned his attention to Iruka. The man looked a little sheepish as he crossed the room and stood with the others.

Hiruzen didn't even blink at his missing hitai-ate, already knowing the details of what had happened. "Iruka-sensei, if you would." Taking out his own list the young man started reading out names. It was almost a guarantee that all of the clan children had passed. By the time Iruka had gone through the Nara in his class that had passed some of the jounin perked up, knowing who should come next.

"Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Hikari- have both passed with flying colors." The tension in the air broke and there were was some ryo passed around. Hiruzen chuckled. Of course his shinobi would bet on the outcome of academy students.

"Uzumaki Naruto." Suddenly it was as if the whole room held their breath. "Has also passed." A cacophony of surprised voices filled the room and he sighed. While most of his jounin didn't harbor any ill will toward the boy they knew about his terrible grades. On the official reports Naruto had not passed. But after speaking with Iruka after the Mizuki incident he agreed with the man's assessment on Naruto's growth. Hopefully a jounin-sensei would be able to round out the edges a little bit and help his pseudo-grandson become a proper shinobi.

"That's enough." Two words was all it took for the entire room to go silent. "I have spoken with Iruka-sensei on this matter and I agree with him. Naruto will be placed on a genin team." Iruka looked relieved and it warmed his heart. The lad had grown quite a lot. It wasn't all that long ago that he was asking not to teach the noisy blonde. Now it was almost like he thought of Naruto as a little brother.

Once everything had calmed down some more the discussion started up again. Asuma offered to take on the ino-shika-cho trio, which earned him a few raised eyebrows. But no one objected outfight. Kurenai spoke up and asked for the Hyuuga heiress, the Aburame boy, and the Inuzuka boy. It was a strange combination, a little overkill to be fair, but her idea of a specialized tracking team made sense. There were a few objections over the Hyuuga heiress but she countered each objections masterfully and smirked when no one was able to challenge her any longer.

Then came the Uchiha twins and practically the entire room began to argue.

"They're too dependent on one another, we should split them up." Said one voice. "You just want a chance to have one of them on your team." Accused another voice. "Don't you think it's a little, uh, _strange_, how close they are?" Another voice broke in. A choked sound of indignation came from his left and Hiruzen glanced toward the Yamanaka who had been the twins personal counselor for the past three and a half years. "The two of them are **children**, traumatized children. They lost everyone they ever knew and loved. Co-dependency isn't an odd reaction in this case. Just because they are opposite sex twins does not make it something… inappropriate!" The man spluttered, coming to the defense of two kids he had come to consider something akin to distant relatives. The man who made the comment flinched and took a step back, all too aware of Ito's clan jutsu.

"I still say we should split them up. They need to learn to work independently from one another. And what happens if one of them, kami forbid, dies? Do we keep them both on the same team and risk losing **both** of the Uchiha heirs?" The man made a good point. One that Ito seemed to take seriously. "They aren't as attached at the hip as you seem to think. Hikari in particular is already exhibiting a very mature understanding that she and her brother need to start learning to live apart from one another. Their teamwork is impeccable and they are already used to guarding each other's weaknesses." There seemed to be more the man wanted to say but he held his tongue. Some information would be confidential, after all.

More arguing ensued and Hiruzen was beginning to get a headache. Then a thought came to him and he had to hide a smile. Hikari-chan was a bright girl, who seemed to accept everyone as they were with few exceptions. While Sasuke was the kind of boy who liked to push himself to be the best. "Kakashi." Used to being on battlefields his voice easily cut through the chatter and silenced everyone. The entire room turned to look at the last Hatake as the man lowered the porn he had been reading and tilted his head, curious. "I want you to take on the Uchiha twins as a part of your genin team." The term 'you could hear a pin drop' came to mind as no one even dared to breathe.

Hiruzen had the distinct impression that Kakashi was frowning at him beneath his mask. "Hokage-sama?" He shook his head minutely. "There is no one else who knows the Sharingan as well as you do. They are going to need your guidance." The man hummed at him in agreement. "And for the third?" Hiruzen couldn't help the sly smile that crossed his face. "Naruto." The silence continued to reign as his jounin tried to imagine having those three together on a team. "It is traditional for the student with the best grades in class and the worst grades in class to be on a team together." Sasuke had the best grades all around, both in written work and in physical scores. Naruto, on the other hand, was the worst overall. Hikari was a close second to her brother, only winning over Haruno Sakura in physical scores. She couldn't quite keep pace with her brother but she was the most physically fit of the kunoichi.

"I see." Kakashi said, slouching slightly and going back to his little orange book. Hiruzen took his silence as acquiescing to his request and motioned for the jounin to continue their discussion.

In the end they had sixteen teams across three classes. Most of which would wash out and end up in the genin corps or quit. The life of a ninja was not an easy one. They had to be prepared for hardship. As the meeting wore down and the details were finalized Hiruzen dismissed his jounin. Only Kakashi remained behind.

"Something you'd like to ask?" The young man shifted his weight. "You know I've never passed a team before." Hiruzen nodded. Kakashi let out a small sigh. "Will I be allowed to fail them?" It was a good question. The last Uchiha were considered celebrities by the civilians. If they failed there would be a backlash. Hiruzen took the pipe from his mouth and sighed deeply. "I will back you if you fail them. However, I want to make sure you fail them for the right reasons." His eyes were stern. Kakashi ended up looking away first. The poor lad had lost so much. He could see how much the guilt had eaten away at him. "Of course, Hokage-sama." That said he vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving Hiruzen alone save for his hidden guards.

Some days he felt more his age than others. "Well then. Back to work."


	5. Team Assignments

Heading to the academy early for the meeting Hikari adjusted her headband again and pouted at her brother when he snickered. "It's not going to fall off." After a moment of silence he chimed in with; "you could always wear it on your forehead." She stuck her tongue out at him and said nothing. It wasn't that she thought it wouldn't stay where she'd put it so much as she wasn't used to something sitting atop her head. No matter where else she thought of putting it, though, it just didn't make sense to her. Across her forehead would make her look like her brother. On a limb meant it could be lost if someone nicked it, or if she lost the limb. That wasn't something she wanted to think about. Around her neck would be too distracting and she'd heard Ino telling anyone who'd listen that wearing it around the waist was what _"fashionable"_ kunoichi did. Yeah, she wasn't going to be copying anything that Ino did. Wearing it on top of her head was a good compromise. If she lost her head it wouldn't matter where she had been wearing her headband, it would be useless to her anyway. This way it wasn't a distraction either.

"You think too much." Her brother had told her when she mentioned all this to him. But there had been a mildly surprised look in his eyes, as if he was just now realizing how dangerous their lives could become. He was always so focused on his far off goal that he sometimes lost sight of things right in front of him. It was a far cry from Hikari, who had a hard time planning anything beyond a month in advance. She usually let her brother handle the long term stuff while she prepared the day to day things that kept them going. Sometimes she wondered about how perfectly split down the middle they seemed to be. Then they would say or do the same thing at the same time, or express the same opinion on something, and those thoughts would be shattered.

Sitting at the end of the row, since Hinata hadn't appeared yet and Hikari wanted to be able to look out the window, she put her chin on her hand and tried to relax. Other students began to trickle in, including Hinata, and soon the classroom was filled with excited speculation. Everyone was curious about who they would be paired with. Hinata looked nervous and she tried to reassure her fried as best she could. Then a certain blonde sauntered into the room and took a seat behind them. Hinata, flustered, shifted seats to the back of the room, sitting next to another Hyuuga. Hikari couldn't help but to hide a smile at how obvious her friend's crush was, and how oblivious the boy in question could be.

Right after her friend had settled herself into the new seat Ino and Sakura entered the room at a run. They fought over who would be first through the door, eventually popping inside at the same time. Both screamed something about a 'goal,' panting and glaring at each other. Hikari shook her head, rolling her eyes as they immediately started to argue about who entered first. Those two fought like cats and dogs.

Suddenly the pink haired girl's eyes lit up and Hikari frowned in confusion. One glance at her brother and she sighed as she realized what was about to happen. Naruto got up and stood in the aisle as Sakura bolted down the stairs. "Good morning Saku-" He wasn't able to finish the sentence as the girl elbowed him harshly out of the way. Sasuke made a low groan as the girl stood just outside the aisle and smiled at him sweetly. It made Hikari's stomach roll. If there was one thing she hated most it was people who were insincere. A silly thing to hate, when one was a ninja, but she couldn't help it. Hiding one's true self when on a mission was all well and good. But blatantly acting different so others would like you more made her feel ill. It reminded her of all those civilians who had tried to ingratiate themselves with her and her brother so they could manipulate them for status. Sure they probably thought they were helping. But it still made her wary.

"G-good morning, Sasuke-kun!" Sasuke looked over at the pink haired girl, glanced up at where she was wearing her headband, then glanced back at Hikari. She scowled at him. Just because someone else wore their headband the same way she was did **not** mean that she was going to change it. She wasn't petty like that. "C-can I sit next to you?" She could practically feel the 'nope' rolling off her brother in waves. Luckily he didn't need to answer as Ino stormed down the steps and confronted Sakura. "Hey! I'm going to sit next to him!"

Hikari found it fascinating how the girls could always tell them apart. Normally Hikari sat in the middle, to prevent situations like this from happening. If she'd known those two would be showing up so early she would have traded places with her brother already. Honestly, though? She'd have thought that getting their hitai-ate would make the two act more professional, more like ninja. She was sadly mistaken.

"First come first serve!" _Here we go._ Reaching over she tapped her brother's hand and made a motion while the girls were arguing with each other. He smirked and they discreetly swapped places. "I came into the classroom before you!" Ino shrieked, making her and a few others with sensitive ears in the classroom flinch. Immediately a group of girls converged on the two with cries of 'I came in before either of you!' Hikari put her face in her hands for a moment and Sasuke looked like he was desperately trying to ignore the whole thing.

Suddenly she sensed someone in front of her and blinked as big blue eyes stared right into her black ones. She wanted to flinch back but froze. The boy growled at her in frustration and she opened her mouth to ask him what he wanted. The girls started yelling, telling their 'Sasuke-kun' to beat up the blonde. Hikari groaned internally. In all the fuss they weren't paying too much attention and hadn't realized that she wasn't her brother. Apparently Naruto wasn't very observant either, what with him being only a few inches from her face.

She wasn't clear on what happened next. All she new was that suddenly Naruto's lips were on hers and they were staring at each other in surprise. Every sound in the room stopped as all eyes turned to look at them. A moment passed before Naruto violently threw himself back, coughing and hacking as if he had been poisoned. She sat there in complete shock, too stunned too move. Next to her Sasuke rose to his feet, anger clear in every line of his body. "Naruto!" His voice was low and dangerous, prompting the girls to look over at him in shock. The girls in the class didn't even have time to register what was going on before Sasuke's punch landed squarely in Naruto's face.

Hikari snapped out of it just as Sasuke raised his fist to strike the blonde again, the poor kid looking highly confused. "Suke, stop it!" She grabbed his arm, one hand curling over his fist so he couldn't throw another punch without hurting her too. He looked at her, still upset, and she shook her head. "It was an accident." Her tone was firm as her eyes trailed to the boy one row below them. "Ah, yeah. My bad." The preteen said, bowing his head slightly in embarrassment. With a grumble her brother finally sat back down, still glaring at the blonde. "Touch my sister again and I'll kick your ass all across Konoha." Settling down he crossed his arms. It was clear he thought the blonde deserved much more than just one punch.

Thankfully Iruka-sensei came into the room and everyone was told to get to their seats. Sakura ended up sitting next to her, finally realizing that it was Hikari sitting there and not her brother.

"Starting today you are all officially ninja." The class perked up at this, excitement running through them at their accomplishment. "However, you are all still new to ninja are only Genin right now. It's only going to get harder from here on out." Some groaned, others chuckled nervously. "You will be split into teams of three to accomplish missions under a Jounin-sensei." There were a few gasps as the students looked around at each other, wondering who they would be teamed up with. Beside her she could hear Sakura whispering to Ino who was behind them. The blonde girl hadn't wanted to move too far away from Sasuke, after all. Of course both girls wanted to be on a team with her brother. Hikari hoped it was anyone but either of them. Though… she could deal with Sakura. Maybe. She was quite smart and could be kind to others, when she wasn't selfishly throwing herself at Sasuke.

She heard her brother click his tongue in annoyance. What had he thought was going to happen? That they'd be paired up because they were the 'inseparable Uchiha twins,' while everyone else got one on one attention from a jounin leader? Was she the only one who did her research? You could see teams of three doing odd jobs in the village all the time. Only the genin corps members did solo jobs and that was mostly inside Konoha.

"For Team One-" Iruka began calling out names and everyone perked up again. Teams of three were called out, to sounds of joy or dread from her classmates.

"Team Six- Yamaguchi Akiro, Adachi Fuyuuki, and Haruno Sakura under Natsuhiko-sensei." After a moment of thinking it over Hikari started to snicker, which prompted both Sakura and Sasuke to look at her, one angrily and one curiously. "Aki, Fuyu, Haru, Natsu. All four seasons." Sakura caught on faster than her brother and groaned. A moment later Sasuke was smirking with her.

"Team Seven-" Iruka called out from the front of the classroom, ignoring the whispering of the students. "Uchiha Hikari, Uchiha Sasuke," Hikari turned to her brother and beamed. Sasuke smiled back. Not one of his little smirks, but a full blown smile. It lit up his entire face. Both were glad they wouldn't be separated. "And Uzumaki Naruto under Kakashi-sensei." The twins froze and looked down a row to the blonde who was sitting just below them. The boy groaned, grabbing at his hair in misery. Sasuke glowered at the back of his head and Hikari just knew she was going to have to be the team mediator. Unless their sensei got involved.

Iruka called out the next group and Hikari looked over at her friend as her name was called. It seemed like she'd be in a tough group. The Aburame weren't the most talkative or emotional of ninja and Inuzuka were wild, untamed even. She worried about her timid friend and tried to give her a reassuring smile.

"That's it for the teams." As soon as Iruka was finished talking Naruto jumped out of his seat and loudly asked; "Iruka-sensei! Why is a top student like me in a group with someone like him!" Hikari glared at Naruto from her spot behind him. How dare he say something like that, after all the hard work they put in! Iruka waved the papers in his hand, looking annoyed. "Sasuke graduated with the highest scores." Putting his hands on his hips he leaned forward slightly. "And you, Naruto, graduated with the worst scores!" Snickers and laughter filled the room at Naruto's stricken look.

"This happened because we wanted to evenly divide abilities between the groups." Naruto clenched his fists, practically vibrating with frustration and embarrassment.

"Do try to keep up, blockhead." Sasuke said in a loud yet lazy drawl that was meant to provoke the blonde. The reaction was instantaneous. "What did you say!?" Naruto snapped.

Sasuke glanced at the blonde, his expression dark. "You want to fight me, blockhead?" The class burst into laughter again as Naruto spluttered, at a loss for words. Hikari had had enough. "Naruto, just stop." The blonde looked at her, mildly surprised, before he looked away; pouting very obviously. Iruka had to be the one to put a stop to it. "In any case, I will be introducing your Jounin-sensei in the afternoon. This meeting is adjourned until then."

As they left the classroom Hikari noticed Naruto running off after Sakura, yelling something about eating together since they weren't in the same group and wouldn't be seeing one another for a while. Shaking her head she quickly found Hinata and asked if she wouldn't mind if they all ate together. The poor girl looked so worried as she shyly turned toward her new team mates and politely asked them if it was okay. Shino just stood there stiffly, as if trying to come to some conclusion only he understood, while Kiba shrugged loosely and without care. "Sure, why not? The more the merrier!" As everyone's eyes turned toward him Shino adjusted his glasses. "There is no logical reason to refuse such a request." Taking that as a 'yes' they found a place to sit under some trees and began to eat their lunch.

"Um, wh-where is your t-team mate?" Hinata finally asked her, playing with her chopsticks absently. Hikari gave her an apologetic smile as she finished chewing and swallowed the morsel. "Sorry, he went off after Sakura. I'm sure he'll find us eventually." _Once he gets rejected again and starts sulking._ Why the blonde chased after the abusive fangirl she'd never understand.

Hinata watched her quietly for a moment and Hikari wondered if she was upset by that stupid kiss. She frowned at her friend in confusion. "Are you…?" The girl seemed to understand what she was asking and quickly shook her head, blushing faintly. "Th-these things happen." She gave her friend a grateful smile. Hinata knew that Hikari wasn't interested in anyone yet. She just didn't feel like any of the boys were mature enough for her. And Naruto was definitely the bottom of her list if ever she made one.

Eating with that group was a little strange. Shino was so precise and quiet while Kiba was a bit of a slob and very loud. Hinata politely tried to engage them in conversation but her team mates were so different it was hard to bridge the gap between them. When her friend started to look defeated she nudged the girl's shoulder with her own, smiling playfully. "Hey, Hina-chan. Want to spar a little?" The girl looked at her gratefully and put her bento away.

The two of them left the boys and walked a few feet away. "Don't hold back on me." Hikari's voice was stern. Hinata frowned slightly but a motivated look entered her eyes as she got into the first stance of her clan's famed taijutsu. Hikari only really knew a small bit of what she had been taught at home, since it was mostly speed exercises, and the academy style. But she had sparred with Hinata many times, both in and outside of class.

The fight was swift and fierce. Both kunoichi were flexible, fast, and precise. While Hikari had a bit more weight to throw around, and a bit more height, Hinata was far more graceful and it showed.

Once they'd worked up a sweat and began breathing heavily they stopped, smiling at each other. "You win again, Hina-chan. You're just more flexible than I am. I can't counter everything." Though the Hyuuga heiress hadn't put any chakra into her strikes Hikari knew she would be a mess on the ground right now if the girl had. A strike to her upper thigh, her lower abdomen, her left shoulder, and a graze to her left side would have left her a groaning puddle. Hinata flushed, pleased with the praise and knowing after years of being her friend that Hikari held no ill will against her for winning.

Holding out her hand for a moment, as if she meant to touch Hikari's shoulder, the girl looked a little concerned as she spoke. "Um, you still have a bit of a delay on your left side." She nodded, mulling it over as they walked back to the boys. She knew she had a harder time on her left, though she didn't really know why.

Looking back at her friend she nodded before giving some advice of her own. "You need to be more decisive in your strikes, Hina-chan. Even against allies. You won't know how good you are unless you go all out." Hinata ducked her head slightly in acknowledgment as they both sat back down with the boys.

"What did I miss?" She asked, looking between her scowling brother, a grinning Kiba, and the furrowed brow and almost tense looking Shino. "Uh, do I want to know?" Sasuke made a low noise that sounded an awful lot like 'no' so she decided to leave it for the time being.

As she'd surmised Naruto eventually found them. With a bruised, swollen, cheek and a downcast look on his face he plonked himself down on the ground a little ways from their group. It looked like he didn't want to speak to anyone. Poking Hinata in the side gently she flicked her eyes at the blonde and saw her friend blush. Nudging her she raised her brow before letting it drop and smiling at her. Encouraging her to go and speak to the blonde. Finally she seemed to steel herself and picked up part of her bento before getting up and walking over to the blonde. "Um N-Naruto-kun? W-would you like some as well?"

Blinking he looked from the timid girl standing in front of him, down to the food she held in her hand, and back. The smile he gave Hinata was almost blinding, filled with gratefulness. "Thanks Hinata-chan!" Taking the bento and the offered chopsticks from her, surprisingly gently, he dug into the meal with gusto, making noises of delight. Hinata looked frozen and her face burned red. "Y-you're w-w-welcome."

Sasuke looked at the small scene playing before his eyes then at her. Hikari gave him a playful and knowing smirk and he rolled his eyes at her. Her brother had never understood Hinata's crush on the blonde. Naruto was an annoyance to him, a distraction and a pest. But both of them shared a very stubborn streak. She was sure Naruto found Sasuke just as aggravating. Another feeling of dread fell over her and she just knew she'd be playing peacemaker. Even if Sasuke was her brother he'd have to learn to work with Naruto. While Naruto would have to realize that his words didn't just affect Sasuke.

Falling back onto the grass she looked up at the sky and sighed. Although their journey had only started she just knew it would be a long and harrowing one. Glancing at the people around her she smiled. _At least I'm not alone._ Taking comfort in that thought she closed her eyes and relaxed as the wind ruffled her hair, bringing with it the sound of her companions laughing with one another.


	6. Team 7

About three fourths the way through their break Naruto left them at breakneck speed, clutching his stomach and looking as if he was in pain. Hinata hesitated, looking as if she wanted to follow him to make sure he was alright, but ended up staring down at her lap shyly. Hikari couldn't help but wonder what he'd eaten to make him so sick. It definitely wasn't anything Hinata had given him. Not only did she not have it in her to prank someone, the Hyuuga were very cautious with everything given to their heiress. Even the ingredients she used to make her own lunches were scrutinized heavily. Or at least that was what Hikari suspected based on what she knew and had seen of her best friend's clan.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Hina-chan. I've never seen Naruto have an allergic reaction to something and the food you gave him was well made." Thinking on it further she sighed and shook her head. "It's more likely he ate something earlier that made him sick. He just ate the bento, that's too fast a reaction. Plus you ate it too and you don't look ill." She flushed slightly when she realized she had the attention of everyone around them. Shino in particular was looking at her intently, though it was hard to tell through the glasses. "Maybe he ate something bad without noticing?" She shrugged. It was embarrassing but not uncommon. Hikari had done it herself once or twice when she was so focused on studying that she forgot to check the date on the package in her hand. Hinata brightened a little. She was still concerned about the energetic blonde but was less worried that she had done something to him accidentally.

When their time was up and they were packing up to return to the classroom Naruto jogged over to them. Skidding into view he acted as if earlier had never happened, looking sheepish when Hinata asked if he was feeling okay. "Couldn't be better!" His beaming smile made the poor girl blush and fidget. Hikari watched him, eyes narrowed slightly in contemplation. He didn't seem to be in pain anymore, which was good, but she wondered what had happened to him.

As he and Sasuke traded barbs Hikari fell back to talk with Hinata's team. Fixing the two boys with a serious look she spoke just loud enough for the three of them to hear. "You better take good care of Hinata. She's my best friend." There was no real threat in her words, though her tone promised serious retribution if they let her get hurt. A small smile crossed Hinata's face and she ducked her head, hiding her amusement.

Kiba looked at the Uchiha in confusion for a moment before a wide grin split his face. "I won't let anything happen to her. Teams have to look out for one another! Right, Akamaru?" The white dog stuck his head out of the young teen's hoodie and yipped in agreement, tongue lolling from his mouth. It took all her willpower not to smile, he was just so cute. While Kiba had been enthusiastic and ready to promise that nothing would harm their team mate Shino was far more reserved. At first Hikari thought he may have been offended by her comment, as if she assumed they wouldn't take care of their team mate in the first place. The coat and glasses the Aburame clan were known for made it really hard for her to judge what they were feeling at any one time, Shino was no exception. "I will do all I can if a situation arises where my team mate requires assistance." That was probably the best she was going to get out of the stoic bug boy. Looking at the two of them she gave them a nod of acknowledgment. She had their assurances, that was good enough for her.

Sidling up to Hinata she looped arms with her and pulled her slightly away from the boys. Leaning in she tried to keep her voice quiet but knew that Kiba would probably hear her anyway. It was fine, as long as he kept quiet about it. "I'll keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't get himself into too much trouble." Hinata's eyes went wide and her face flushed. The poor girl was still so shy about her crush. Chuckling Hikari let her go and raced to catch up with her own team, waving at her friend.

hr

Back inside the students sat around chatting with their new team mates as the jounin came to claim them. Slowly the teams trickled out, leaving the three of them with only Iruka-sensei for company. Naruto talked to him for about an hour while Sasuke and Hikari did their own thing but eventually Iruka-sensei had to leave. Naruto told him it was fine and gave him a reassuring smile as he gathered his materials. Flustered and apologizing he took one last look back at them before he hurried off to his other duties. Once the man was out of sight the blonde's expression fell slightly. Hikari could tell he was impatient and beginning to get agitated, especially without Iruka-sensei to keep him happily distracted. It wouldn't be long until he started acting out, which would just annoy her brother. Turning to her team mate she smiled. "So Naruto, what kinds of ramen do you like?" It was the perfect question to get his mind off of their jounin. But boy was it going to give her a headache. The honest smile of happiness he gave her may have been worth it though.

To her surprise she actually enjoyed the conversation quite a bit. Naruto was surprisingly good at cooking and knew a lot of recipes. There were a lot of ingredients he mentioned that she'd never tried before. Asking questions every now and then she learned what temperature was best for each type of ramen and how long the soup had to cook for. He even listed off what other dishes paired well with it. Hikari smiled to herself. If he ever got over the idea of being a shinobi of the leaf he should open his own restaurant, she thought.

Alas, a single topic couldn't keep a conversation going forever. Another hour passed and the blonde began to openly fidget, glaring at the clock on the wall. "Where is he?" Naruto finally snapped. Hikari sighed and looked over at her brother, who'd rarely spoken the last two hours and shot glares at the blonde whenever he became too exuberant. "I don't know." She began. "But he has to be jounin rank to teach us and jounin can sometimes be called on during emergencies. Especially if the Hokage asks for them specifically." It was a bit of a stretch and she knew it. Jounin assigned to teams weren't supposed to go on missions until their team was ready. Looking at Naruto she nibbled on her lower lip. Clearly the blonde didn't know this.

With carefully timed words she was able to draw her team mate back into a conversation. This time about ninja tools and what might be done with them. When that topic came to an end she speculated aloud what 'cool' ninjutsu their teacher might be willing to teach them. It even caught Sasuke's attention and he made a few comments of his own. It was a miracle that she was able to keep his attention for nearly two whole hours, since she knew he had a hard time focusing in class. Yet here he paid careful attention to every word she said before formulating a response. Although he didn't seem able to recall much about the curriculum his additions and creative ideas made her smile.

It was odd, she thought to herself. Why had no one noticed this side of him before? The teachers all called him a nuisance and ignored him, while the parents warned their children to keep away from him. Although he didn't have much in the way of academic learning he was able to grasp concepts quickly and change plans on the fly as he gained additional information. It was almost uncomfortable how his blue eyes bore into her, soaking up her attention. 'How lonely he must be.' It made her wonder what her life would be like if she didn't have Sasuke with her. Would she have been able to put on such a brave face? Probably not. Naruto asked her a question and she shoved those feelings down, her smile never faltering.

Finally, after what felt like ages, the door to the classroom opened and a man with silvery hair entered the room. The three of them stared at him for a moment before Naruto jumped up over the desk and landed on the floor below. It seemed he finally remembered why he'd been so agitated earlier. "You're late!" Hikari sighed and stood, glaring back at her brother as he snorted; his own frustration seeping through the carefully crafted stoic exterior. "Naruto," she jumped over the desk as he had, though with far more grace, "he's here now and that's all that matters. There's nothing we can do to change what happened in the past. But if you keep standing there and just yelling at sensei then we're not going to get anywhere today." Her tone was firm, like a mother scolding an unruly child. The blonde subsided with a growl, his fists clenched and teeth grinding.

The silver haired man fixed her with a searching look and she had to fight the urge to take a step back. It was such a deep, intelligent, and guarded gaze that it sent a shiver down her spine. Suddenly the man's look softened and he almost seemed to be smiling at them. "Hmm. My first impression of you is- you'll do." The easygoing words didn't register at first but when they did both Naruto and her brother bristled. Hikari wanted to put her head in her hands and sigh deeply. "Follow me." Their sensei said. If the slight tilt of his head and shoulders were any indication he was amused by their antics.

hr

Up on one of the school roof tops they found seats on a set of short stairs while their sense chose to sat on the railing opposite them. "Hmm, let's see…" Although his tone was lackadaisical Hikari couldn't help feeling nervous. What sort of introduction would they get to life as a ninja? "I think I'll have you introduce yourselves first." A small giggle left her and she stifled it too late. The man's uncovered eye landed on her and he tilted his head questioningly. "Sorry sensei, it was just such a normal thing to say." The normalcy of the situation had startled the nervousness right out of her. He seemed to understand and waved it off easily enough.

Naruto looked puzzled. "Introduce ourselves? What's that mean?" Sasuke looked at the blonde with annoyance. Hikari turned toward their sensei, wondering if he would explain or if she would have to. "Tell me your name, things you like, dislike, any hobbies, future dreams; stuff like that." The blonde smiled in understanding. Hikari wondered just what kind of introduction to give when the blonde piped up again. "Oi, oi, what about you? You first!" Well… it would be lying if she said she wasn't curious about their new teacher.

"Me? Well. My name is Hatake Kakashi, I don't feel like telling you guys about my likes or dislikes. I've never really thought about any future dream… As for hobbies I have a lot of them."

hr

Seeing the annoyed looks on their faces made him want to smile in amusement. But he knew better. Kakashi kept his expression carefully neutral. None of the kids spoke, just watched him quietly. The boys were frustrated and it was actually pretty adorable. But the girl… she was wary of him. He wasn't sure why yet, other than the fact that he was a strange jounin she'd never met before. He didn't have a good grasp of her personality yet, only observations and second hand knowledge.

"Alright, your turn. Let's start with you." He nodded toward Naruto and the blonde beamed at him. "Oh me? Me, I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I like instant ramen. But what I like more is when Iruka-sensei treats me to Ichiraku's ramen! What I hate is the three minutes it takes for the cup ramen to cook when you pour the hot water in." Hikari stared at her team mate, a confused frown on her face. She looked as if she wanted to say something but was unsure whether she should in front of their sense. Sasuke, on the other hand, was openly ignoring the blonde. "My hobby is eating and comparing different ramen!" Kakashi wanted to sigh. He'd heard the rumours but it was still a little unsettling how obsessed with ramen Naruto was. "And my dream is to become greater than the Hokages! I'm going to make all the villagers recognize my existence."

Sasuke's head whipped around and he gave the blonde a searching look, as if seeing him for the first time. Hikari had a resigned kind of smile playing at the corners of her lips. There seemed to be some promise there. "Alright, next." His one eye landed on Hikari and the girl sat up straighter, shoulders back and chin slightly lowered. It was the posture of a submissive subordinate.

"My name is Uchiha Hikari. I suppose I like hanging out with my best friend and my brother. I…" She hesitated slightly, glancing between the boys before taking a slow breathe. "I don't like insincerity or being kept in the dark." Odd, but understandable. He'd read the reports about civilians approaching the twins and how they reacted depending on how truthful the civilians were being. "My hobbies are cooking, sewing, playing the shamisen, and practicing the tea ceremony." He blinked in surprise, hiding a frown. It sounded like she cared more about being a proper lady than a ninja. He supposed girls at her age were more concerned with their appearance and being feminine than working on their shinobi skills. Although being an Uchiha meant she would be less flighty than other girls her age.

"I haven't thought a lot about the future… but I have two goals." Sasuke looked at his sister quizzically. Apparently she hadn't shared these with him before, interesting. "I want the truth." Her eyes hardened and he could feel the beginnings of killing intent. The boys began to fidget next to her as she raised her chin and stared him square in the eye. "And I want to protect those who are precious to me." Sasuke reached over and tapped his sister's hand. This seemed to calm her and she sank back slightly, looking mildly embarrassed. _'__Hmm, and here I thought Sasuke would be the problem child.'_

"Last but not least." He droned as if uninterested, turning his attention to the darker haired boy. It took him a moment but the boy finally responded when his sister nudged him. He grumbled under his breathe for a moment. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. There are lots of things I don't like and few that I do like." Very descriptive. "My hobby is training. I don't have a dream for the future; I have a mission. To protect Hikari." At least he was less surprising than his sister. Both Naruto and Sasuke were pretty much what he expected. The only enigma was Hikari.

The twins might look the same on the outside but inside it was like night and day. Sasuke was as antisocial as he'd heard while Hikari had been able to keep Naruto engaged for two whole hours. **Naruto.** The kid with enough energy and ingenuity to trump an entire Anbu squad. If her posture and vocal tone had been anything to go by she had even enjoyed the conversation. She was smart but also hardworking and had the ability to read people without any training. The only question was; how serious was she about her life as a shinobi. He'd have to revise his plans a little.

"You all have very unique personalities, I like that." Now their attention was back on him. "We're going to go on a mission starting tomorrow." Immediately Naruto perked up and gave him the saddest salute he had ever seen. "What mission would that be, Sir?"

"First we're going to be doing something I'm sure you three can handle." Sasuke had a determined look in his eyes. Naruto was practically vibrating. But Hikari looked tense. The slight tightening around the eyes mouth suggested anxiousness. "Ooo, what, what, what? What is it sensei?" Naruto practically bounced out of his seat and he sighed, waving his hand in a placating manner to try and calm the boy down. "Survival training."

The confused looks on their faces made him chuckle. "Survival training?" Naruto blinked at him, looking even more stumped than the other two. Sasuke's eyes narrowed at him in suspicion but Hikari was watching him, patiently waiting to hear what he had to say. Kakashi hid a sigh. It wasn't as fun when they didn't raise a fuss.

"Ne, ne, Kakashi-sensei!" He glanced at the blonde. "If it's training are we going to learn some cool jutsu?" The boy was so excited and hopeful it was like looking at a puppy. "Unfortunately, no." He ran a hand through his hair. "Did you know that out of the forty-eight graduates only twelve will become genin?" He asked in a conversational tone. That got their attention.

"That's only four teams…" Hikari frowned for a moment. He could see the moment the implication dawned on her. "Does this mean we'll have to pass a certain criteria to become full genin?" Smart girl. Kakashi began to chuckle. "Those who don't pass will be sent back to the academy for re-training. In other words, this training is going to be a difficult test with a seventy-five percent drop-out rate." Silence met this statement as each of them thought over what they had just learned.

Of course it was Naruto who broke the silence. "No way! Then what the hell was the final exam for? I went through so much trouble!" He looked out over Konoha, taking his time to answer and rile up the blonde even more. "That? That was just to find out who was qualified to become a genin."

"WHAT!?" Kakashi had to hide a wince at the sheer volume Naruto could produce. "Anyway, I'm going to determine whether you pass or fail tomorrow at the training grounds. Bring your shinobi equipment and meet me at oh-five hundred hours."

The look of fear and determination warring on the blonde's face was so plain to see that it was nearly painful. But he couldn't go easy on these kids. Turning his back he waved at them nonchalantly. "Now then, this meeting is over." Stopping as if suddenly remembering something he turned to look back at them. "Ah, right. Don't eat breakfast. You'll throw up if you do." That said he hopped over the rail and vanished from sight. He had some planning to do.

hr

In the early hours of the morning Hikari was awakened by her brother. Looking up at him from her mess of comforters and pillows she groaned before half climbing, half rolling, out of bed. Her brother practically pushed her through their morning routine until she was standing, a little more awake, near the front entrance. "Come on, Hikari." He said, holding her hand and heading for the door. Blinking she frowned slightly and stopped. "Hold on, I forgot something." Letting her go he waited by the door as she ran back inside and grabbed a second bag. Sasuke eyed it as if it were something dubious but he said nothing as they finally left the house.

Coming into the clearing she saw Naruto wobbling toward them. Looked like he wasn't a morning person either. "Morning." She said tiredly. "Hey." He replied, minus his usual enthusiasm. Sasuke gave them both one of his little half smirks and she stuck her tongue out at him. "Not everyone is a morning person." She chided him, though it lacked any real heat. Naruto stopped in front of them and dropped backward onto the ground, yawning. Setting down her bags she sat on the grass as well, taking in the morning air of the field and the scant bird songs just beginning.

A grinding sound came from her team mate and she glanced at him in confusion. He just smiled at her tiredly. "Didn't you eat anything?" She asked him, a little concerned. Naruto blinked at her in confusion. "But sensei said not to." Hikari sighed and reached into her pack to grab a small bag. She handed it to Naruto. "Inside are some nuts that are high in energy." Opening the small bag he started to nibble on the nuts with a shrug of 'well why not.' It took a narrow eyed Sasuke to remind him to say thank you. Hikari just smiled tiredly. "You're welcome."

Time passed as the three waited in the field. After about an hour Sasuke was looking impatient and Naruto was dozing off to sleep again. She started to wonder if this was going to be a theme. Was this a test? Was it supposed to make them exasperated or frustrated enough to make mistakes? Why had Kakashi-sensei told them not to eat breakfast? Fuyumi-sensei had spoken about nutrition in the kunoichi classes and while it was true that excessive exercise could make you throw up it was far worse to have nothing in your stomach. Throwing up stomach acid would burn your throat and could become a distraction. Which was why she and Sasuke had eaten something very light and drank plenty of water. She turned to Naruto and nudged him awake. He jumped slightly before looking at her. "You should drink some water before sensei arrives. That way if you do throw up it will be mostly water, which doesn't hurt as much as other things." Taking out his canteen he sucked the water down and Hikari had to make him slow down.

While Naruto went to refill his canteen from the lake nearby Sasuke stood watching the ever rising sun. Leaning against the back of his legs she sighed. "Why did it have to be so early?" Her grousing caused her twin to chuckle. "You never know when we'll be called out on a mission." She scoffed at him playfully before sitting up again. Naruto quickly returned and sat down as well, still yawning and looking as if he hadn't had much sleep.

The sun had well and truly risen in the sky by the time their sensei arrived. He appeared out of nowhere, making no sound until he spoke. "Good morning gentlemen, and lady." Immediately Naruto jumped up and yelled at their sensei. "You're late!" Getting onto her feet she dusted off her long shorts and looked expectantly at the silver haired jounin. "Well, you see, a black cat crossed my path so…" As both of the boys glared at him he coughed into his hand, as if to hide embarrassment. "Ah, well, let's move on then."

Walking over to one of the three posts he placed an alarm clock down. "The alarm is set for noon." That said he pulled out two small bells on string that jingled slightly. "The goal for today is to get one of these bells from me." He dangled them in front of him and Hikari frowned. "If you can't take one you'll be getting no lunch." He pointed toward the three wide posts in the ground nearby. "I'll tie you to that post and eat your lunch in front of you." Naruto looked devastated. Hikari sighed, at least she'd gotten him to eat some nuts before their sensei arrived. She and Sasuke had eaten a little bread so they should be fine for a while. But they were up against a jounin.

Hikari doubted he would go easy on them.

"Sensei, may I ask you a question?" His one eye turned to her and it almost seemed as though he were smiling beneath the mask. "Hm?"

"Why are there only two bells if there are three of us?" Silence descended upon the clearing as both Sasuke and Naruto realized that she was right. There had only been two bells. "Since there's only two bells it's guaranteed that someone will be tied to the post." His words were light but she felt a sense of foreboding in the pit of her stomach. "That person will be considered to have failed the mission, and the test." In other words… "That person will be sent back to the academy."

"It might be one of you, or all of you. You can use any weapon you like. You won't be able to pass if you don't come at me with the intent to kill." A shiver ran down her back. Images of bodies and a feeling of being watched swamped her mind. A light touch to her elbow shook her out of it. Sasuke looked at her, worried, she smiled reassuringly. Naruto started to grin. "Hey, sensei, are you sure? You could get hurt." Hikari and Sasuke looked at the blonde, incredulous. Kakashi's expression seemed to darken slightly. "Those in society who don't have many abilities tend to complain the loudest." Naruto's eyes narrowed and she knew that the blonde was fired up. "Just ignore the worst in the class." Kakashi drawled, dismissing the blonde. Naruto's hands clenched in anger.

"We're going to start when I say ready, start." Before he could say anything else Naruto palmed a kunai. Crouching to give himself a better running start he yelled loudly and took maybe two steps. A greenish blur was all she saw. She blinked at the scene before her. Kakashi had Naruto's hand behind his back, kunai aimed at the back of his neck while his other hand was firmly planted on the blonde's head, holding him in place. "Don't be so hasty." Hikari felt cold. Kakashi wasn't using his bored drawl any longer. "I didn't say start yet." Almost involuntarily she took a step back, she noticed Sasuke doing the same. After a tense moment their sensei released Naruto, who growled as he clutched his wrist.

"Well, it looks like you have the will to kill me now." Hikari flinched, ever so slightly. How he could say that with such an apathetic look on his face she had no idea. Sasuke watched her out of the corner of his eye, keeping most of his focus on the jounin.

"We're going to start." Shifting her foot back she got ready to bolt the moment he said the word. "Ready, Start!"

hr

Looking over some reports Ito Yamanaka dropped them onto the table and leaned back in his chair. Unlike a teacher or a relative he was not allowed to meddle or make decisions about the twins lives. As long as their mental state was stable, at least. But staring down at the page he wanted to sigh and curse out loud. He'd heard about Kakashi from colleagues and family members. Notoriously late, infamous in the other villages, and one of their youngest to be raised to jounin. The only other person he could think of with a similar record was Itachi Uchiha. It left him feeling anxious. Geniuses like Kakashi were known to be eccentric. He only hoped that he would take it easy on the twins. Not in the sense of training, but their fragile mental states. All it would take is one over powered genjutsu…

Standing from his desk he left the office and headed to the break room. He needed some tea to calm his nerves.

_'__Good luck, kids.'_He thought as he poured the hot water into the pot._'__You'll need it.'_


	7. The Bell Test

The moment Kakashi said 'start' she dashed into the trees as quickly as she could, followed closely by Sasuke. The moment she touched down on the first tree branch she immediately turned to the left and kept going, circling the field where their sensei was standing. Crouching on a branch Hikari stopped, slowing her breathing and pulling her chakra closer to her core, concealing her presence as best she could. Sasuke wasn't far behind. Standing beside her on the branch he watched the field silently, muscles taught and ready for action.

"Hey! Let's have a match fair and square!" Hikari had the urge to put her face in her hands and sigh deeply but she didn't want to draw attention to herself. Beside her Sasuke muttered 'idiot' as the two of them watched Naruto. Standing in front of their sensei he had his arms crossed and a smug look on his face. From the field Kakashi addressed her blonde team mate. "Aren't you a little weird, compared to your classmates?" Naruto scoffed. "What's weird is your hairstyle!"

What? No, what? He had bright blonde hair that stuck up all over the place, but Naruto considered their sensei's hair to be weird? This absolutely baffled her. Was it some sort of bluff? Did he have any kind of plan? Or did he really think that shinobi just stood in fields and fought each other man to man? Next to her she could practically feel Sasuke's frustration.

"Chyaaaaaaaa!" Naruto yelled as he ran straight for Kakashi. Had he learned nothing from the first confrontation? He was no match for a jounin, what did he even think he could do here? Sensei reached into his bag and her heart thudded faster in her chest. Naruto stopped, defensive and wary. "Ninja tactic basics, number one; taijutsu. I'll teach you that first." From where she was hidden she could see their sensei bring out a book of some kind and Naruto's confused look. "What's the matter?" Kakashi asked. "Come and get me."

Sensei's body was entirely relaxed, as if he were ready to lay down on the grass and take a nap. She could sense no urgency, no wariness, no defensiveness whatsoever. He was entirely confident in his abilities to beat a couple of fresh academy graduates. "B-but, um, why did you grab a book?" Hikari was curious as well. From their first two encounters she was slowly building up an idea of their sensei in her mind. Earlier he had provoked Naruto into acting rashly so it was a safe bet that pulling out the book was to rile him up even more. "Why?" Kakashi stated in the same bored drawl as before. "I wanted to see how the story develops."

"Don't worry about it. It's the same whether I read this or not." That did it. Naruto was angry now. "I'm going to pound you into the dirt!" The blonde ran forward, one hand on his shoulder to steady the punch he was broadcasting like neon signs. Kakashi blocked the attack without looking, as if he were shooing away a fly. Landing on the ground Naruto pivoted his body and readied the next attack. "Grrr, roundhouse kick!" Sasuke's hand closed into a fist as Kakashi crouched without looking away from the little orange book. Naruto's miss sent him backward. Landing on the ground he corrected his stance and threw another bunch, all while yelling "damn it!" Repeatedly.

In the blink of an eye Kakashi was gone. Naruto was left standing there, arm extended forward and a dumbstruck look on his face. "A ninja should not allow his enemy to get behind him multiple times, idiot." His hands were on the closed book in his hands and for a moment Hikari was confused. She recognized the hand seal their teacher was forming. Tiger? Was he going to use a fire jutsu? She thought about warning Naruto but the logical part of her mind stopped her. Their teacher was testing them. He wasn't allowed to just maim them intentionally. Whatever he planned for Naruto would be to put him in his place and teach him a lesson. Sasuke tensed beside her.

"Konoha's secret taijutsu art!" She wasn't quite sure what happened next. Their sensei yelled "a thousand years of pain!" The next thing she knew Naruto was flying through the air holding onto his backside as if it had been burned. Well… if their sensei literally lit a fire under Naruto's behind she wasn't going to complain at the moment. As Naruto hit the water of the nearby lake Kakashi sensei nonchalantly stood and reopened his book to read. Taking out an inexperienced genin meant nothing to him.

Sasuke reached for his kunai pouch but stopped when she tapped his wrist. _'He's toying with us.'_ He glanced at her._ 'No duh.'_ His eyes said. Hikari huffed quietly and started to sign. 'There is no way we can beat him by ourselves, he's a jounin. He's waiting for something.' That stopped her twin._ 'Like what?' _She shook her head, eyes uncertain._ 'I don't know… he told us to get the bells, showed us two of them, and threatened to send one of us back to the academy.'_ But wait. What happened if they failed an even number of applicants? Genin were in three man teams with a jounin sensei. What would happen if there weren't enough genin? Konoha wouldn't just punish two of them for their team mate's failure by sending them to the Genin Corps. Not when they could potentially be useful. None of this was adding up.

While she was thinking it through two shuriken flew out of the water at their sensei. Sasuke tensed, hand on the hilt of his kunai. As they watched sensei plucked the shuriken out of the air, perfectly spearing them on his outstretched fingers. They spun down lazily and eventually stopped spinning. He never even glanced in their direction.

Naruto climbed out of the lake, spluttering and coughing up water. Kakashi watched him, one hand on his hip the other holding up the book. "What's wrong? You won't get anything to eat if you don't get a bell by noon." Shaking his hair out Naruto pouted. "I already know!" It came out like a whine. "You said you'd surpass the Hokages, but your actions say something else." Naruto cursed loudly at the taunt. "I can still fight! I'll get a bell, just you wait!" Kakashi gave a little half shrugged and walked off toward the center of the field again, paying the blonde no mind.

_'What is it we're supposed to do here?' _Naruto started to yell something again as six other Narutos erupted from the water, all grinning like mad. "Hah! You turned your back on me, thinking you'd won! Now face my greatest technique; mass shadow clone replication!" As they hit the ground they made an audible sound. Each one of them had weight to them, as if they were real and not illusions. Hikari had no idea what technique that was but she was a little awed by her team mate. Now if only he could start thinking a little they might actually be able to pass this test.

The group of Narutos ran toward their sensei, who stood there quietly waiting. Out of nowhere an eighth Naruto appeared and wrapped himself around Kakashi from behind, trying to grapple him. "A ninja shouldn't let his enemy get behind him, right sensei?" The blonde grinned. "I used the shadow clone jutsu and sent one of my clones to sneak out of the river and get behind you!" Hikari put her hand against her face and let out an aggravated sigh. Why was he explaining his plan? If it failed he could have tried again later. But now Kakashi-sensei knew more about Naruto's jutsu and the way he planned his attacks.

The group of Narutos all grabbed onto Kakashi and held him in place as one jumped up, readying an attack. "I'm going to pay you back for that attack to my butt!" If this actually worked Hikari was going to go rethink her life choices.

"I'm going to punch you!" She couldn't say when it happened, she wasn't paying as close attention as she could have been, trusting her brother to do it for her while she thought up a plan, but suddenly the group of Narutos began to brawl. They were screaming about how Kakashi had transformed into one of them and were fighting each other. Nearby sensei watched them with his head cocked to the side slightly. All at once the group of Narutos stopped and pointed at a random tree. "There you are!" They said at the same time. Kakashi chuckled sardonically as the miniature gang of Narutos ran off and started punching at random trees, the air, and sometimes each other. "You won't get away sensei!"

_'Genjutsu.' _She glanced at Sasuke, he knew it too.

*Kakashi*

_'Now then…'_ Leaving Naruto to run around chasing the illusion of himself Kakashi homed in on the twins and inwardly sighed. Although they were hidden well for graduates the fact that they were right next to each other was a little disappointing. He knew that they would be trying to come up with a plan, both had excellent grades and from all reports they were quite good at strategizing. The problem was their psyche evaluations, which he'd looked into the night before. As a jounin-sensei he had access to any and all reports made on his students. Especially the psychological ones. He needed to know any potential triggers that could cause them to seize up during a mission, any unbalanced personality traits, and any potential for mental breakdowns. Their therapist, a Yamanaka by the name of Ito, had been very thorough in documenting their recovery after the fall of the Uchiha clan. According to him the kids were as stable as they could be under the circumstances. But Kakashi wasn't one to take chances.

With a single shunshin he appeared behind them, right between the two. Letting out the barest hint of killing intent had the desired effect of making the twins jumped away from him, in opposite directions. Perfect. Ignoring Sasuke for the time being he turned and chased after Hikari. Out of the three of them she was the hardest to read and some of her actions had him scratching his head. Trying to get into the mindset of a little girl was not something Kakashi was well versed in, and a couple of things on the evaluation had him worried.

At her core Hikari was a pacifist. Just like Itachi. Reading that had sent a shiver down his spine and a feeling of dread settling in his gut. The frivolous things she had spoken about in her introduction made him wonder if she was only aiming to be a shinobi to stay close to her brother, or to follow the wishes of her deceased family. Forcing herself to conform to fit in. Ito didn't think so. While he trusted the Yamanaka's judgment Kakashi was just too much of a paranoid jounin to ignore the possibility.

Behind him he felt a spike of killing intent and glanced back as Sasuke threw a brace of kunai in his direction. Ducking beneath the weapons he let himself fall. Catching the branch with one hand he swung up and kicked the boy in the stomach. Sasuke blocked the blow but it didn't stop him from being sent to the ground. Jumping down he landed a fair few feet away and watched the boy carefully. Ito had hit the nail on the head. The dark frown on his face and the determined look in his eyes was all Kakashi needed. It was obvious that the twins would never abandon each other, even out in the field. It was a risk. But one he was willing to accept.

Sasuke reached into his pouch and Kakashi raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh? Attacking me directly isn't going to work, you know." With a 'tch' the kid threw out a bunch of shuriken. Dodging them with ease he was startled when a second set of shuriken appeared from behind him. _'Hikari?'_ She was hiding in the trees and lending aid to her brother. Kakashi dodged, right into Sasuke's oncoming attack. The boy had jumped toward him in a spinning kick, using Kakashi's own momentum against him. It was textbook, a perfect kick. Blocking with the back of his hand he reached out and gripped Sasuke's left leg with his left hand. Sasuke followed through with a punch, but Kakashi had been anticipating it and intercepted it with his free hand. Swinging up his right leg Sasuke brought it down in an axe kick. Kakashi let go of the boy's fist and blocked the strike aimed at his head. With a triumphant smirk Sasuke let himself hang upside down and reached for the bells at his waist. Kakashi's eyes went wide. Had that been their plan?

Shoving Sasuke away from him he retreated a couple of feet back, wary of an attack from in front and behind. Sasuke righted himself mid-air and landed on the ground with an annoyed look. _'He's not giving me any time to read. There's no wasted movements and their ability to work together is impeccable. I doubt they even have to speak to one another to plan their next moves.' _Twins in the ninja world could be terrifying. If they didn't end up arrogant and relied too heavily on their team work, neglecting their own independent skills. Kakashi smiled under his mask. It was the kind of teamwork he liked to see.

"Well, I'll acknowledge that you're better than the usual crop of genin." A smug look crossed the boy's face before his hands started to move. Kakashi caught the symbols for horse and tiger. He cursed internally. _'There's no way he has enough chakra to do a jutsu of that level!'_ Sasuke breathed in deeply and raised his hand to his mouth before a stream of flames spewed forth, engulfing the place Kakashi had been standing. The fire was hot enough to burn the grass to ash in an instant and melt the packed earth beneath it, causing a small crater to form.

From the dark safety of the earth he wondered just how far the boy had pushed himself, and whether that sort of thing should be encouraged or not. Jutsu were very volatile and one mistake could end the user's life.

Reaching out of the earth he gripped Sasuke's ankle. _'Earth style; Head Hunter Jutsu.'_ Pulling the boy down into the soft earth he popped out of the ground and crouched in front of him. "Ninja tactic basics, number two; ninjutsu." Sasuke grunted as he tried to claw his way out of the ground. "How's that, hmm? Can't move, can you?" He watched the genin struggle for a moment longer before standing up and stretching lazily. "Well, you're already doing much better than the others." He muttered, pulling out his book once more.

As he was walking away he spoke loud enough to be heard. "They say that the nail that sticks up is the one that gets hammered, though…" Now that his play time with Sasuke was over, where was his sister?

*Hikari*

The moment Sasuke used his flames she knew that the plan was a wash. Kakashi was more formidable than her brother was giving him credit for. If there was one thing she could say about her brother that she didn't like; it was his bad habit of underestimating others. To others it looked like confidence but she knew it was his pride. As her brother was pulled into the ground she retreated. _'I have to find Naruto!'_ Alone her skills just weren't enough and she knew it.

Back in the field Naruto was still flailing around, fighting nothing but air. The extras were all gone, she assumed that the jutsu he was using had timed out, but he was still stuck in the genjutsu. Unsure if he would see her as an enemy or not she steeled herself. When she was a child her mother had taught her the basics of genjutsu, as part of her clan upbringing. Her mother had been a well known genjutsu mistress and Hikari had been excited to learn. She knew how to disrupt her own chakra in order to shake off a genjutsu and she knew that pain could also snap you out of it. In class the theory of pushing chakra into another person had been talked about, mostly to see if anyone was interested in becoming a medic-nin. But it was risky. You needed a high level of control to push chakra into someone without damaging them.

Leaping through the air she flipped and landed next to Naruto._ 'This better work!'_ Gathering chakra into her palm she swung and slapped the blonde across the cheek, pushing her charka into him as she did so. "Kai!" She said fiercely under her breath. Immediately Naruto fell to the ground, looking up at her in confusion as he rubbed his sore cheek. "Ne, Hikari-chan! Why did you go and slap me?" She let out the breath she had been holding and held out her arm to help him to his feet. "It was the only thing I could think of. You were stuck in a Genjutsu." Naruto looked a little confused, then disgruntled, then angry. He opened his mouth to start yelling but she clapped a hand over his mouth. Raising a finger to her lips she shushed him.

"Listen carefully. We need to work together." Naruto's arms crossed over his chest. "Nuh-uh, I'm not being sent back to the academy!" He said angrily, though she was glad to see he was being quieter than before. "You won't have to go back to the academy. We'll talk it over once we have the bells. But if we don't work together and none of us get a bell then we all fail." The blonde's eyebrows came together as he thought about her words. "If…" she swallowed hard, "if it comes down to it I'll go back to the academy." Blue eyes wide Naruto gaped at her. "Wh-what?"

Hikari closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm not as motivated as you or Sasuke. If we get the bells then I don't mind going back to the academy to learn more. I want you guys to succeed." Naruto's eyes narrowed and he looked at her skeptically for a moment before his face split in a wide grin. "Okay then! What are we gonna do?" Hikari let out the breath she had been holding. "Okay, first we need to save Sasuke. Do you think your clones could dig him out of the ground while I distract sensei? Kakashi-sensei did… something and he ended up buried to his neck." Naruto snorted and she glared at him. It wasn't very funny.

"Alright Hikari-chan, leave it to me! Where's the basta- ah Sasuke?" He was lucky that he'd stopped himself and switched what he was about to say. "In that direction, about two *Ri." Naruto nodded and raced off into the trees. That dealt with Hikari checked her surroundings before setting up a few simple, but effective, traps.

Finishing the last trap she was moving to a better position when a shadow above her alerted her to the presence of another person. Kakashi leapt at her suddenly, from seemingly nowhere, and she started. As his fist came toward her she lost her hesitation and quickly redirected the attack with her arm. As a kunoichi she knew she would never be as physically strong as the boys. But physical strength was moot if you never landed a hit. She had trained with Hinata for years and while she wasn't allowed to learn the gentle fist style she had adapted some of her best friend's movements and incorporated them into her own style. It was all about redirecting attacks and using an opponents momentum against them. Kakashi's one eyebrow raised in surprise and Hikari felt a sense of accomplishment. She didn't know why but she felt that he was looking down on her for some reason, and it irked her.

Twisting away she came up just under his guard and aimed a kick at the back of his knee, an incapacitating move. Placing a hand on her head he used her as leverage and jumped over her kick. With a smile he flipped over her and kicked her in the back, driving the wind from her lungs. Landing on the ground she coughed, her body trembling with the need for oxygen. "Your teamwork is good but your brother is far ahead of you in terms of physical conditioning." She clenched her teeth rather than respond. It wasn't a sore point with her, not really. She was confident in her intellect and she trained as hard as her brother. It was only her youth and size that made her unable to keep up entirely.

Silently she got to her feet and fell into a defensive taijutsu stance. She knew she couldn't win in a straight up fight, she was too outclassed. But that was what the traps were for. Kakashi vanished from in front of her and appeared right in her face, his one eye staring right at her. 'He's fast!'She barely had time to dodge, bending back at the waist and pushing off her hands as she kicked upward. Kakashi shifted to the side and her feet just missed him by a hair. Leaping back she pulled out a kunai and threw it. Sensei side-stepped it, giving her a disappointed look. Suddenly dropping to the ground was the only warning he had as kunai came flying toward him from behind.

Without missing a beat he deflected them all, his eyes never leaving her._ 'Aw crap!'_ Getting to her feet she ran for the trees but he was right on her tail. He appeared in front of her and she had barely any time to react as he swept her legs out from under her. As she fell she threw a shuriken at the next trap trigger but sensei caught it in mid-air, twitching his finger back and forth making a tsking sound. "I won't fall for that again." She landed on her back the way they'd been taught in the academy, a way to minimize damage, and rolled away.

Hair covered in grass, clothes dirty, and breathing heavily she watched the jounin in front of her and hesitated to make a move. Kakashi took a step toward her and she threw kunai at him, trying to stall until Naruto and Sasuke returned. Kakashi shook his head almost sadly. "If you don't try to actually hit me you'll never get one of these." The bells jingled from his hip and she frowned. Opening her mouth to ask him what he meant she stopped when the clear sound of the alarm bell could be heard. It was Noon, the test was over.

Kakashi gave her one last look before he turned and walked away. With a heavy heart Hikari followed behind him.

As they came up to the posts she saw Naruto tied up and looked over at her brother in confusion. Sasuke glared at the ground. Like her his clothes were covered in dirt. Unlike her he didn't have a nasty bruise appearing on his arm. Looking up as she came closer he glanced at her arm, where she was trying to cover the bruise with her other hand. Turning his gaze to Kakashi he glared daggers at the man.

Hikari sat down against the post next to Naruto and let her head fall back against it. They had failed. She had failed. Hikari never even had a chance to try and get them to work together before the stupid alarm had gone off. By now what little they'd had to eat had been burned through from all the exercise and she could hear a low grinding sound from the boys. Sore, tired, hungry, and defeated. It was not a good day.

"Now, now. Don't look so downcast. There's something about this test I didn't tell you guys about." Lifting her eyes to their sensei she watched him carefully, wary. He'd baited Naruto, forced a confrontation with her brother, and then toyed with her like she was a rag doll. Her eyes narrowed slightly at him. What was the point of it all?

"There's no need for you to go back to the academy." Huh? Was he joking? Naruto didn't seem to think so. "Yahoo! Then that means the three of us-" Kakashi smiled and interrupted the blonde as he started to celebrate. "Yes, you three… should stop being ninja." He said it with such finality that Hikari felt her heart sink.

Naruto kicked his feet against the post, struggling against the ropes. "Quit being ninja? What the hell does that mean!" For the second time her brother seemed to agree with Naruto and grunted in response. "We didn't get the bells and all, but why do we have to quit?" Kakashi put his hands on his hips and watched them with an apathetic expression. "Because you're all brats that aren't qualified to become ninja."

That insult was too much for her brother, with his pride already bruised from earlier. Dashing forward he attacked their sensei, intent on proving himself. "Suke!" She called after him.

She didn't even see him move. One minute Kakashi was standing there without a care in the world and the next he was sitting on her brother's back, pinning one arm and pressing his face into the dirt with a foot. Jumping up from the ground she finally snapped. "Don't sit on my brother like that!" She yelled, making Naruto look at her with wide eyes.

"Do you kids think that being a ninja is easy, hm?" Her body shook as he looked them each in the eyes. "Why do you think you're doing this exercise in teams?" She knew. She already knew that! "It's as if you kids have no understanding as to the true nature of this test." Naruto looked lost. "True nature?" Kakashi nodded.

"Yes. The answer that determines whether or not you pass this test."

Hikari was about to retort when Kakashi began speaking again. "Are you guys brainless, or what? Don't you not get the meaning of a three man squad?" Naruto thrashed about again. "So what? So what if we're in teams of three!" Kakashi turned his attention to the blonde. "It's teamwork." Her sensei looked at her in mild surprise. As did the two boys. "We're genin, no not even that. We only just graduated from the academy. There's no way we'd be able to fight a jounin one on one. We were told in school that if we ever met a foreign jounin that we should run away. Why would Konoha jounin be any different?" After all her elder brother had been a jounin and he'd taken out their entire clan… Blinking at the stares she was getting she let out an aggravated sigh. "We have someone who is unpredictable and clever as well as someone who knows advanced taijutsu on our team. We just need… to work together."

Kakashi looked pensive as he stared at her. It was like a heavy weight and she shifted nervously on her feet. "Well, it doesn't matter. Even if you get it now it's too late. You might have been able to get the bells if you three had worked together."_ 'Might, he says…'_ She knew that the only way they would get the bells was if their sensei allowed them to. But this was a test, not a do or die situation.

"But, but, Kakashi-sensei! There's only two bells! You said someone would go back to the academy!" Naruto whined from the post. Kakashi sighed, sounding annoyed for the first time. "Of course. It was a test meant to see how you would act when faced with this kind of decision. To see if you would prioritize working as a team instead of selfishly fighting amongst yourselves." Naruto blinked and looked over at her. "Th-that's…" She shook her head and Naruto's mouth clamped shut. _'It doesn't matter, we failed.'_

"You all acted like fools." The words were harsh and she felt them all the way in her bones. "Naruto! You ran around, acting on your own with no regard for your team mates." The man shifted his foot, pushing Sasuke's face further into the dirt. "Sasuke, you prioritized protecting your sister and facing off against me over helping your team mate when he was defenseless." Sasuke's fist clenched and he glared up at the teacher, struggling for a moment before Kakashi's hand gripped tighter around his wrist. "Missions are carried out in squads! Make no mistake, ninja need to have unsurpassed individual skills, but team work is considered more important than that."

"Hikari," she flinched as Kakashi turned to look at her. "You abandoned your brother." A cold shiver ran down her spine at the near anger in his voice. She choked on her reply, too upset to speak coherently.

"Hey, wait! Kakashi-sensei, that's not fair!" The man turned to look at the blonde, and so did she. "Hikari-chan came to get me so we could get Sasuke out of the dirt! She even said she didn't care if she got one of the bells or not, she wanted us to work together!" Sasuke and Kakashi looked at her in surprise. While their teacher was contemplative, maybe even pleased, her brother was scowling at her. Biting her lip she nodded, looking at the ground. _'Even if I wanted us to work as a team, I messed up. We were too late anyway…'_

*Kakashi*

Kakashi watched the three of them carefully, judging their reactions. Naruto was too much of a knucklehead to lie well, especially when angry like he was now. So he trusted his words. But what about Hikari? Had she lied to Naruto to ensure her and her brother would pass? Sasuke certainly looked none too pleased to learn his sister was willing to give up a spot on the team to the blonde. But the Uchiha's surprise was genuine. That only left Hikari.

It was easy to see where her mind had gone as her shoulders drooped and her eyes found the ground. Failure was a cruel teacher. But better to fail now than to fail later and risk death. Being a shinobi was dangerous, deadly. Getting up off of Sasuke he stood and turned his back to them. "The life of a shinobi isn't a game. Every mission is a life risking assignment." Walking over to the stone monument he looked down at it, a familiar feeling of guilt and loss rising up like bile in the back of his throat. "Look at this monument. Every name engraved on this stone is a ninja who is called a hero by the people of this village." Naruto made an excited sound behind him and he had to hide his flinch.

"Cool, I like the sound of that!" He took a deep breath to calm himself. 'He doesn't know, he doesn't know…' Sasuke got up from the grass behind him and walked over to his sister as the blonde continued to speak. "I've decided! I'm going to have my name engraved on there! I'm not gonna die like a dog, I'll be a hero!" Turning to look back at the kids he continued, trying to ignore the nonsense coming out of the blonde. "But they aren't just any heroes…" Naruto had a wide grin on his face but Hikari and Sasuke were watching him silently. "Really? Then what kind of heroes are they?"

Kakashi couldn't keep looking at that wide, ignorant, smile. He turned his back to them once more. "They are heroes who were killed in action."

"Killed… in action?" Naruto asked, confusion plain in his voice. "People who died on missions, dobe." It was rare for Sasuke to be the one to explain things to others. Glancing back he saw the faint shine and redness around Hikari's eyes and bit the inside of his cheek. He could not go easy on them. There were horrors out there they could never imagine… or maybe they could. He wanted to kick himself. Of course the twins would understand. They had lost everyone. They had almost lost each other as well. Kakashi reached up and rubbed the back of his neck.

"This is a memorial. The names of my friends are also engraved here…" The silence was nearly deafening. A gust of wind rustled the boughs nearby and he made up his mind.

"You three, I'll give you one more chance." Before they could celebrate he turned and regarded them carefully. "However, it will be a much harsher battle. If you want to continue you can eat those bento and gather your strength." At Naruto's grin he held up his hand, pointer finger in the air. "But, you cannot let Naruto have any." It was an unreasonable request, he knew. Naruto pouted and complained loudly. "You have the most to learn from your mistakes, this is a punishment. If either of you give him any I will disqualify you on the spot." When Naruto looked ready to argue again he dropped his voice lower, into a growl. "I am giving you a second chance. I make the rules here, understand?" The blonde nodded, clamping his mouth shut.

Kakashi left them, vanishing into the trees to observe them without them knowing.

_'Now, what will you do?'_

*Sasuke*

Sasuke was torn. Naruto was an absolute blockhead but… he had to admit he was relieved when the blonde showed up to help dig him out of the ground. The fact that he hadn't gloated much was surprisingly tame. Shoving another mouthful of rice past his lips he was glad that Hikari had convinced him to have some toast and nuts that morning. Otherwise the hunger would have been unbearable. Glancing over at his sister he could see the same torn look in her eyes and huffed. It was clear she wanted to help the blonde, Kami knew why. He still hadn't forgiven the blonde for kissing her. She was a proper lady and a hardworking kunoichi, not to mention his precious little sister. Having the class idiot around her aggravated him more than he wanted to admit. Especially when he remembered some of the things that had been said about her behind her back._ 'Dammit, Kiba.'_

While he couldn't deny he wanted her to stay at home, so she could be safe, he trusted her to make her own decisions. If she wanted to be a kunoichi then he wasn't going to stop her. In fact if anyone got in her way they would have to answer to him.

Naruto's stomach growled loudly and they both looked over at him. He blushed, embarrassed, before putting on a brave face. "Grr, I'm fine eating no lunch! No sweat!" Another growl. "No sweat..."

A feeling that he was being watched fell over him, but it wasn't malicious. Looking at his sister quizzically he saw her smile for the first time since they'd failed. It was almost mischievous. "I'll be right back!" Setting her bento on the ground she ran over to where they had stored their packs and started to rifle around in them. A moment later she had returned with a thermos and a small lunch box. Kneeling next to Naruto she opened the thermos and poured out warm miso soup.

As she held it up to Naruto's lips and smiled Sasuke hissed. "What are you doing?" He asked her quietly. She shushed him. "Sensei said **those** lunch boxes. He never mentioned the ones I made at home. Besides, if he's hungry he'll be distracted. Not to mention that loud grumbling is a dead giveaway." The grateful smile on Naruto's face as he sipped the warm liquid was almost disgusting. "Thanks Hikari-chan!" She smiled back.

Grudgingly he accepted his sister's logic and while she fed Naruto the soup he opened the other lunch box and picked out a small dumpling. Naruto eyed him a little warily for a moment but ended up eating the morsel anyway. "Just hurry up."

An explosion of wind and smoke in front of them had him dropping the box and grabbing a kunai. In one swift motion he was on his feet and standing in front of Hikari and Naruto, intent on protecting his sister… and the dumb blonde. Since he couldn't defend himself currently.

"You three!" Kakashi yelled as wind whipped past them. "You defied the rules, so you know what comes next." His hands blurred into motion and dark storm clouds gathered above them, thunder booming and lightning crackling along the edges. "Do you have anything you wish to say?" He demanded, looking down at them.

A trembling hand touched his shoulder and he knew it was Hikari. She was frightened. "But Sensei… y-you said…" Naruto stuttered behind them. Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"You said that these guys are…" Sasuke's eyes flicked back to the blonde before they went back to their Sensei. "We're a three man squad, right?" Hikari tensed behind him. "If... if we're going to work together and be a team we need to help each other out." Her voice was clear but her breathing seemed a little strained, it was worrying. "That's right! We're a team!" Naruto yelled.

"Is that right, you're a team, eh?" Kakashi lowered his hands and stalked forward. Instinctively his hand clenched tighter around the kunai. "Well then… you pass."

_'Wait… what?'_

*Kakashi*

Kakashi smiled at the three of them. Their startled faces were pretty amusing right now. Their expressions silently screaming for an explanation.

"You guys are the first." He started. "Up until now I was only given idiots who were cowed by my threats and meekly obeyed everything I said." The sky started to clear as his hold on the jutsu dissipated. "A ninja must see through deception. In the ninja world those who break rules or codes are seen as trash. But those who abandon their comrades… they're worse than trash." Hikari collapsed back onto the grass, her face bright with a surprised smile. Sasuke put his kunai away, a smug smirk playing across his face. Meanwhile Naruto began to blubber and muttered something about him being cool, though it was hard to tell with his broken speech pattern.

"That's it for the exercise, everyone passed. Tomorrow we start our first mission as Team Seven!" He gave them a thumbs up before he started to walk away. "We'll meet here in the morning, at oh-seven hundred hours. This time make sure you eat something." He chuckled.

Behind him he could hear their excited chatter and smiled.

_'These three are good kids.'_

*End Notes*  
Ri is a measurement of distance. 1 Ri is about 3.9 kilometers or 2.4 miles.


	8. The First Step

Sitting crossed legged at the low table Naruto's knee bounced up and down nervously. In front of him was a steaming cup of fresh green tea and a small bowl of snacks. To his left Sasuke stared at the table, looking like he'd eaten something sour. From the kitchen he could hear the sound of water running and humming. Clearing his throat he tried to give the raven haired boy a friendly smile. "So, uh… nice place you got here." He waved his hand to indicate the homey living room. Sasuke let out a small grunt in reply. _'Geez, what's his problem?'_

Coming out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a cloth, Hikari looked between them and smiled. "Thank you, Naruto. Don't mind my brother, he's just tired from earlier." Sasuke's frown deepened but he didn't deny it either. "Ah, don't sweat it." He wanted to taunt Sasuke about being weak but with Hikari standing right there it was a little hard to do. Especially since he was sitting in their house.

It had been a complete shock when Hikari invited him over out of the blue, to celebrate passing the test as a team she said. The blonde had rarely gotten the chance to hang out in other people's houses before, so it was a little nerve wracking. Especially with Sasuke sitting there like the surly bastard he was.

"Let me know if you need anything, okay?" Smiling up at her Naruto nodded. "Will do!" Turning around she went back into the kitchen, looking much happier than earlier. Sasuke watched his sister and Naruto thought he saw worry in his eyes. "Hey, uh… you doin okay?" Ugh, this was so awkward and weird.

"…fine." Was all he said._ 'Yeesh. Maybe I'll go see what Hikari-chan is doing in the kitchen.' _Getting up he wandered over to the kitchen and stepped inside. Like the other parts of the small house he'd seen this room was clean and well lit. The direction of the building meant that sunlight came in through the windows during the afternoon. Looking back at him Hikari blinked and frowned. "Did you need something?" He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Oh, uh, not really. Jus' wanted to see what you were doin." After a moment she giggled. "Is Sasuke brooding?" There was a sound of indignation from the living room and Naruto's face split into a wide grin. "Yup!"

"Oi, you." Sasuke barged into the kitchen, looking like an affronted cat. Hikari just laughed. "I'm only teasing, Suke." It was nice to see her like this. She'd looked so sad and scared earlier, even though she pretended to be okay right after. The bruise on her arm had darkened a little and it had to have hurt. But she'd insisted it was fine. "Go sit down. Dinner won't take long… hmm. You could always go outside and show Naruto the garden." Sasuke looked at him and shrugged.

"Why not… Come on, dobe."

*Hikari*

While Naruto and Sasuke walked off, arguing and calling each other names, she went back to work. Stirring the broth she ladled some onto a tasting dish and sipped it. Pulling out the miso she added another spoonful and a little bit of soy sauce. Stirring the broth she let it simmer so the flavours would mingle, set the lid back on the pot, and returned to the cutting board. Done shopping the green onions, carrots, and spinach she checked the broth and smiled to herself. Now all she had to do was finish the noodles and sear the pork.

One would think that after such a rough day Hikari would want to go lay down to rest. But she was far too jittery. Cooking, cleaning, or practicing the shamisen had a calming effect on her nerves. The mundane tasks let her mind wander so she could think about everything that happened. Today she'd felt like an absolute failure. Against their teacher she had been like a leaf in the wind. No control of her situation or environment. His accusation had felt like a punch to the gut.

Shaking her head to clear it she focused on the task at hand. Rather than dwell on the negative she decided to remember the positive. They had passed! Now they were real genin, who would be trained by a real jounin. They would get stronger together, as a team.

Pulling out the bowls she started ladling the broth into them. When each bowl was two thirds full she added the noodles, seared pork, and sliced boiled eggs to the top along with the vegetables she'd cut. Putting lids on the bowls she left them to steam a little while longer and went into the living room, it doubled as a dining room, to set the table. Once everything was ready she smiled to herself at a job well done and went to find the boys.

They weren't that hard to find.

Somehow a simple tour of the garden had turned into an all out brawl on the grass. The two of them were glaring daggers at each other, clothes and hair mussed. Taking a deep breath she yelled at them. "Hey!" They stopped and looked at her, eyes owlish. It was almost comical. "Dinner's ready. If you guys don't stop fighting it'll get cold." Hands on her hips she gave them her best impression of an authority figure. It seemed to work. Sheepishly they picked themselves off the ground and headed inside. "And wash your hands first!" She called after them.

Sasuke grumbled at her but did as he was told. Naruto, on the other hand, looked at her with this confused sort of awe. "Well, get going." Cheeks turning slightly red he followed Sasuke to the bathroom and waited his turn to wash. Hikari couldn't help but think he looked a little lost.

Setting the covered bowls on the table she sat down and waited. The boys sat down a couple minutes later. "Itadekimasu." Taking the lid off her dish she saw Naruto's eyes widen and giggled at the unamused look her brother was giving her. "What? I wanted to try it." The ramen broth was nice and hot. The vegetables were steamed through and the slices of boiled egg looked delicious. Lifting some to her mouth she blew on it to cool it before slurping up the noodles as politely as she could. It was warm and hearty. Comforting after such a rough day.

"What do you think, Naruto? Be honest." Scratching at a cheek when he was finished slurping up some noodles he looked down at the bowl then back up at her with a grin.

*Sasuke*

Eating quietly he followed the conversation between his sister and the blond as they talked about ingredients, flavors, and cooking techniques. Even with most of his focus on what he could have done better against their new sensei he couldn't help but think that something was off. Hikari had been a little strange the last few days and he didn't know why. He couldn't even blame the dobe. Naruto was annoying but pretty much harmless, though that was worrying in and of itself. He would be going on missions with the damned airhead. Meanwhile his sister was trying her best to be nice to him and it made him feel… awkward. Left out.

Sasuke knew that his sister was a very talkative and friendly person by nature. She did her best to get along with everyone and smile all the time, except Ino or some of the rude civilians. She worked harder than any of the girls in their class except for Hinata, who Sasuke didn't mind. In fact whenever Hinata was around things were pretty fun. He didn't feel like Hinata was stealing his sister's attention because she was so shy and polite, often apologizing for monopolizing his sister's time. Naruto, on the other hand, was unashamed of the things he did and the trouble he caused. No doubt he'd cause trouble and get them both into the thick of it with him.

_'Things are going to be much livelier from now on…' _He grimaced at the thought of the blonde being over at their house all the time, causing a mess and being rowdy. Hikari looked at him quizzically and he just shrugged, continuing to eat his ramen.

Naruto asked for seconds and Hikari left to get more. While she was out of the room Sasuke kicked his shin under the table. "Ow, what the hell?" He glared at the other boy. "Make sure you thank her." Naruto stared at him blankly and he huffed. "This is the first time she's made ramen, if you can't figure out why then you're more of an idiot than I thought." Naruto looked stunned for a moment before his cheeks flushed. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, he didn't like that far off look on the blonde's face. Before he could say anything else Hikari was back, setting another bowl in front of their team mate.

"O-oh, thanks Hikari-chan." The blonde stuttered, fidgeting a little. His sister gave him an accusing look but he just let his expression go blank. After a couple seconds she returned to her own meal and continued her conversation with Naruto.

After dinner Naruto did something that surprised him; he offered to do the dishes as thanks for the meal. Hikari tried to say it was no trouble but Naruto insisted, his blue eyes almost intense. His sister caved with a small smile and thanks.

"Why don't you go have a bath? I'll help the dobe do dishes and see him out." She thought it over for a moment, looked down at her still grimy clothes, made a face, and left to gather a towel and pajamas. Sasuke headed into the kitchen and nudged Naruto's shoulder. "What?" 'Does he always have to be so rude?' "I'll dry them and put them away. It'll be faster." Naruto shrugged and moved over to let him help. It was the first time they'd worked together without an argument or butting heads.

"…your sister is really nice." Naruto said after a couple minutes of silence. Sasuke watched him for any sign of sarcasm but the blonde just looked thoughtful. "Yeah, she is." They worked in silence and finished the dishes quickly. Naruto must have realized he was overstaying his welcome because he went to gather his things rather quickly. Sasuke stood in the hall, arms crossed and leaning against the wall. Naruto put his shoes on and looked back at him, an odd look on his face. "I, uh… guess I'll see you guys tomorrow." He nodded and Naruto left.

Sasuke rubbed at his forehead. Today had been so bizarre. Heading outside he watered the plants and went through some taijutsu forms before Hikari told him he could have the bath.

That night Hikari flopped down onto his bed and curled up with her own pillow, hugging it almost desperately. A fond smile crossed his face as he sat down on the bed. "…I didn't abandon you." She said after a long, drawn out, silence. "I know. I never doubted you for a minute." She smiled as the tension left her shoulders. He turned out the light and got into bed. They fell asleep, back to back, just like they used to do when they were kids.

*Hokage*

When Kakashi made his report on the outcome of the test Hiruzen couldn't help but to smile and laugh. Naruto was such a plucky kid he couldn't help but be amused at his antics. "Hokage-sama, I'm… a little concerned." Placing his pipe back in his mouth he nodded. "While Sasuke is quite advanced he seems to be pushing himself too hard. Naruto is just as unfocused as I imagined, and Hikari…" It was hard to describe the hesitation he felt when it came to the sole female Uchiha. She wasn't as driven as her brother, though by all accounts she'd done well in the academy. She seemed to lack any motivation besides helping Sasuke. "I'm unsure whether she is fit to be a shinobi." Hiruzen let out a sigh.

"Yamanaka Ito has been working with them for years, and I trust his judgment in this matter. Hikari-chan will find her own motivation before long." Kakashi's face was as blank as ever but he knew the young man was still unsure. _'He may be confident on missions but when it comes to teaching…'_ After what had happened to the Uchiha, Kakashi had lost some of his confidence. Not as a shinobi, but as a person. "I can arrange a meeting with you and Yamanaka Ito to talk about your students. I'm sure he has a lot to talk with you about." A faint eye smile met this as the man nodded. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

Once Kakashi was gone he returned to his paperwork, still chuckling over the antics of the new generation.

*Hikari*

In the morning Team Seven met in the field around seven in the morning. Naruto looked as energetic as usual and her brother was fine but it was clear she was tired as she covered a yawn. "Not a morning person, are ya?" Naruto asked as he bounced up and down excitedly. "Not really. I'm more sluggish in the morning." Sasuke snorted and she elbowed him in the side. "At least I don't fall asleep at my desk and drool." Naruto must have tried to imagine this because he fell to the ground in a fit of laughter. Sasuke glared at the both of them and Hikari giggled.

Kakashi-sensei wasn't as late as he was before. It was maybe twenty minutes after seven when he finally appeared. The three of them were sitting beneath a tree and waiting for him, out of the sun. As he approached they rose to their feet. Naruto was bouncing again, Sasuke put his hands in his pockets, and she dusted herself off. Kakashi cleared his throat.

"Today we're going to start with some training, then a mission." Naruto practically vibrated next to her. "What kind of training? Are we gonna learn a cool jutsu? Will you teach me how you pulled Sasuke into the dirt?" Sasuke kicked a rock in front of him, glaring at the ground. It was still a bit of a touchy subject. Kakashi eyed them with what might have been hesitation, if she was to guess.

"What do you know about Chakra?" Naruto fidgeted, shrugging slightly. "Chakra is the combined physical and spiritual energy present in all living things." Kakashi smiled at her, at least she thought so. It was hard to tell with the mask. "Correct. For shinobi it is a very important tool. Like any tool it needs to be honed." Naruto mouthed the word 'honed' and she sighed. "It means to make something, like a skill or a weapon, sharper or stronger." The blonde nodded in understanding. "That is what we're going to start on today." Kakashi motioned to the open field and started walking. The three of them followed.

"We're going to start with… this." Kakashi produced nine colored cloths. Three blue, three green, and three yellow. "I want the three of you to attach these to your bodies, anywhere that is visible." Taking the three green pieces of fabric she tied one around her ankle, one on her upper arm, and one on the opposite wrist. Sasuke had the three blue flags and followed suit. One went around his wrist, one around his ankle, and one at his waist, attached to his kunai pouch. Naruto looked at the yellow flags for a moment before slipping one through his headband, one around his thigh holster, and one hanging from his pocket. "S'this good enough, sensei?" Kakashi nodded at them.

"Before we go any further, some rules. One, you are not allowed to use shuriken or kunai. Two, no jutsu." Here he looked pointedly at the boys. Hikari frowned, did sensei just not believe she would break the rules? Or was there some other reason he didn't include her in his warning? "Three, you are not allowed to use grappling moves. That said, you can use any part of your body to make contact. The goal is to steal the flags from your team mates. Whoever has the most flags when the time runs out will be the winner." Setting down a clock he started to wind it. "Oh, and, you can steal back any of your flags. As long as it is on your body and visible." Hitting the button on the small clock he yelled, "go!"

It went exactly as she thought it would. Immediately Sasuke and Naruto turned on each other. For a moment she watched them, surprised, before anger settled in her gut. If they wanted to ignore her then fine. She'd use it to her advantage. Making a hand seal she noted Kakashi-sensei dropping his arms and standing a little straighter, paying her more attention than the boys. Activating the technique she quickly dashed forward and reached up to grab the flag from Naruto's pocket before ducking underneath her brother's kick and taking the the flag from her brother's waist. Jumping back she kept her eye on the brawl as she tied the two new flags around her wrist and used another genjutsu to hide them. From there she waited for another opportunity to strike.

*Kakashi*

Carefully watching his three genin he wanted to sigh when Naruto and Sasuke devolved into a brawl, ignoring other possibilities and hammering on each other. It was almost embarrassing how they lost their composure around each other. Hikari started to move and he glanced in her direction. Out of the three she was the least predictable. Watching her hands forming a hand seal he was about to reprimand her for disobeying when he realized she wasn't using a ninjutsu. _'Genjutsu?'_ Whatever she did it made the boys unaware of her presence as she dashed in and stole two flags before getting away from them. _'Not bad.'_

Kakashi hadn't even thought of the possibility that any of them would know genjutsu. It was a subtle skill that took a high level of chakra control._ 'What did they teach in the kunoichi classes?'_ Tying the flags to her wrist she used another genjutsu to make them harder to see and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Technically they were still visible.

As the boys split apart they seemed to notice something was missing and glared each other down, eyes searching for their lost flag. Almost as one they turned back to Hikari. She gave them a carefully unamused expression, arms crossed. Perhaps he was handling this wrong. Naruto and Sasuke were very clearly heavy hitters. Once they had some experience under their belts they would be formidable on the battlefield. But in the last few days he'd been observing them he was beginning to realize she preferred to take a support role. _'Two ninjutsu specialists and a genjutsu specialist? An Uchiha genjutsu specialist…' _If he trained them right they would be a formidable team.

When the timer finally went off the winner was Sasuke. Hikari came in second while Naruto… lost by a landslide. While his creative and unpredictable attacks were clever his moves were inefficient. Hikari had good form but she tired faster than the boys. Using two genjustu, even subtle ones, must have worn her down. "Naruto, we'll be working on your taijutsu, it's sloppy. Hikari, I'll be giving you some endurance training in the future." Naruto pouted at him and Hikari nodded in understanding. "Sasuke, you did well. Your taijutsu is impeccable." The boy smirked, accepting the praise. "However, your focus needs work. You were so preoccupied with Naruto that your sister was able to steal flags from you when you weren't paying attention. We'll need to work on that." A stubborn scowl was his only response.

"Clean yourselves up and we'll head out to get your first mission." Naruto sprang into the air in excitement. "Yes!"

It was going to be a long year.

* * *

Thanks to Hikari, Sasuke is more open to interacting with others and not looking down on them as inferior to himself. While Hikari isn't openly hostile to Naruto like Sakura was in canon. Due to their willingness to actually work together as a team Kakashi is starting their training early.

This is a bit of an intermediary chapter. Since the Wave Arc will be coming pretty soon.


End file.
